The Herd with Colin Cowherd – Hour 3

Date: October 13, 2025
Topic: NFL & College Football Coaching Changes, Protecting QBs, Jets’ Struggles, Trade Deadline, and Big College Football Stories
Guests: Albert Breer (Monday Morning Quarterback), Bruce Feldman (The Athletic, FOX Sports), Matt Hasselbeck

Main Theme & Purpose

This hour of “The Herd” is a deep-dive into the disruptive week of coaching changes across both the NFL and college football, with a distinctive focus on the impact these changes have on young quarterbacks and team cultures. Key NFL team struggles (notably the Jets and Chargers), the precarious job security for head coaches, and high-stakes college football storylines—including Penn State, Oregon, and Belichick at North Carolina—are broken down with expert analysis and behind-the-scenes insights from Albert Breer and Bruce Feldman.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. NFL Head Coaching Turnover & Its Effects on Young QBs

Segment: [02:26–04:42]

• Recent Trend: The last four quarterbacks taken first overall have all seen their head coaches fired during their rookie seasons, leading to instability and stunted development.
  • Albert Breer: “A lot of these guys go to bad situations. It’s no wonder they don’t make it their first shot… If you’re the Titans right now, job number one is to make sure that you’re not the next of those cautionary tales.” [03:08]
• Case Study: Titans cycle through GMs and coaches in 3 years, now firing Brian Callahan only 9 months in.
  • Breer highlights: Dysfunction at the top, lack of continuity, danger for young QBs if the environment isn’t stable.

2. Jets’ Listless Performance & Organizational Concerns

Segment: [04:42–06:52]

• Observations: Despite defensive talent and investments in the offensive line and skill positions, the Jets have no sense of direction.
  • Colin Cowherd: “Yesterday... there were times in the second half... I would’ve taken him [QB] out. He froze.” [05:08]
  • Albert Breer: “This does not feel like what Aaron Glenn walked into in Detroit… I think, looking back on what happened in Detroit in 2021 gives you the roadmap for getting out of it. But early on in Detroit, we saw more fight than what we’re seeing from the Jets right now.” [05:19]

3. Philadelphia Eagles’ Offensive Identity Crisis

Segment: [06:52–08:42]

• Question: Would the Eagles make a mid-season coordinator change?
  • Breer: Unlikely in-season, but past precedent for shaking up staff, as happened after Super Bowl loss. Current offensive struggles are linked to the run game sputtering, which affects Jalen Hurts' performance.
  • Quote: “They got to find a way to get that run game going... It does feel like there’s a little bit of an identity crisis.” [07:26]

4. Chargers’ O-Line Crisis & parallels to Giants’ Defensive Line Identity

Segment: [08:42–10:49]

• Urgency: With the loss of top linemen, the Chargers’ identity (built on offensive line strength) is threatened.
  • Breer: “I don’t think they’ll be afraid to overinvest in the offensive line… It’s really tough to find guys at those positions in season because if you have good ones, you’re not letting them go.” [09:26]

5. Chicago Bears Post-Bye Expectations & Caleb Williams' Development

Segment: [10:49–13:04]

• Turning Point: Early bye used as developmental reset for Caleb Williams and OC Ben Johnson’s program; high expectations for cleaner, more coherent offensive play.
  • Breer: “I think this is an opportunity for them to clean up a lot of the things that went wrong over the first four weeks… you would hope this is going to be the start of the completion of what their identity is going to be for the rest of the season.” [11:33]

6. Is Mike McDaniel Losing the Dolphins Locker Room?

Segment: [13:04–15:46]

• Locker Room Red Flags: Multiple players-only meetings signal potential coach-player disconnect. Breer notes risk of management undermining coaches, referencing what happened with the Raiders.
  • Quote: “That first players-only meeting happened after the opener. That was alarming how early that happened... For your QB to stand up there and say these are almost a regular occurrence—... would concern me.” [13:32]
  • Broader Point: Leadership questions—does Tua, as captain, bear responsibility for locker room discipline?

7. College Football Hot Topics & Coaching Changes

Bruce Feldman Segment – [30:04–38:10]

a. James Franklin Out at Penn State

• Big Picture: Franklin’s downfall wasn’t losing to Ohio State/Michigan but consecutive losses to struggling programs and reports of a post-game argument with the AD.
  • Feldman: “I think it just came back to... it was time to make a change.” [31:50]

b. Next Coach at Penn State – Signetti or Matt Rhule?

• Signetti: Impressive turnaround at Indiana, major potential candidate.
• Rhule: Pat Kraft connection from Temple days could make him a contender.
  • Feldman: “He’s done one of the more remarkable jobs in college football, turnaround-wise, of anybody I’ve seen since I’ve been covering the sport.” [32:07]

c. USC’s Program-Changing Win & Notre Dame On Deck

• USC Analysis: Emotional boost from beating Michigan, optimism for Lincoln Riley, but road tests loom.
  • Feldman: “USC and Lincoln have not been very good on the road… If they hope to get into the playoff, they’re playing well, but will it travel? This is going to be a good test.” [35:30]

d. Bill Belichick’s NC Tenure Is Floundering

• Problems: Missteps in transfer portal, GM Mike Lombardi’s unfamiliarity with college landscape, arrogance & cluelessness, ugly blowout losses.
  • Feldman: “The biggest thing... was a combination of arrogance and really clueless. The arrogance of thinking they knew everything... it’s a really dangerous combination.” [35:44]

8. NFL Injury Updates & Contender Discussion

Segment: [20:56–26:24]

• 49ers injuries (Warner, Bosa): Matt Hasselbeck dubs it “brutal” and points to the NFC race being wide open.
• Kansas City’s Emergent Greatness: Colin sees Chiefs (especially once Rashee Rice returns) as the league’s only team with “a chance to be great.”
  • Cowherd: “I think Kansas City, when they get Rashee Rice back, is the only team in this league right now with a chance to be great.” [22:23]

9. QB Development & Play Protection (Bo Nix, Denver)

Segment: [22:42–24:23]

• Bo Nix, Denver: Uneven play, struggles with deep ball, signs of sophomore slump.
  • Cowherd: “He’s been kind of alarmingly off on deep throws… They’ve had open shots down the field and they haven’t hit them.” [24:17]

10. College Football, Georgia, Playoff Landscape

Segment: [25:23–26:24]

• Kirby Smart timeout controversy: Debated as a non-issue; Georgia not looking dominant.
  • Cowherd: “They’re not a great team. They’re going to get... if they play Ohio State, they’re going to get rolled.” [25:23]
• SEC Power: Alabama’s rebound, potential of QB Simpson.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On NFL Coaching Turnover and QBs:
  • Albert Breer: “If you’re the Titans right now, job number one is to make sure that you’re not the next of those cautionary tales.” [03:08]
• On the Jets:
  • Breer: “I would say that, like, early on in Detroit, we saw more fight, I think, than what we’re seeing from the Jets right now.” [05:19]
• On Miami Dolphins:
  • Breer: “That first players only meeting happened after the opener. That was alarming… for your quarterback to say like, well, players are late, like, what are we going to do? This is a guy who’s wearing a C on his chest.” [13:32]
• On USC’s Big Win:
  • Bruce Feldman: “A walk-on running back goes in there and rushes for more yards than any team had rushed for against Michigan in the last nine games. Big credit.” [33:50]
• On Belichick at North Carolina:
  • Feldman: “The biggest thing was... a combination of arrogance and really clueless. The arrogance of thinking they knew everything... a really dangerous combination that has really blown up in Belichick’s face.” [35:44]
• On Georgia:
  • Cowherd: “They’re not a great team. They’re going to get... if they play Ohio State, they’re going to get rolled.” [25:23]

Important Timestamps

• NFL Coaching Turnover: [02:26–04:42]
• Jets’ Dysfunction: [04:42–06:52]
• Eagles’ Identity Crisis: [06:52–08:42]
• Chargers O-Line/Trade Talk: [08:42–10:49]
• Bears/Caleb Williams Expectations: [10:49–13:04]
• Dolphins Players-Only Meetings/McDaniel: [13:04–15:46]
• 49ers Injuries & NFC Landscape: [20:56–22:24]
• Bo Nix/Denver Broncos: [22:42–24:23]
• College Football Roundup (Feldman): [30:04–38:10]
• Penn State/Franklin Firing: [30:53–31:50]
• USC Big Win & Notre Dame Preview: [33:08–35:30]
• Belichick at North Carolina: [35:30–38:00]

Summary Flow

This episode captures the volatility and high stakes in both the NFL and college football, centering the conversation on how leadership (or the lack thereof) permeates throughout entire organizations, affecting performance, culture, and player development. With top journalists providing inside perspectives, listeners walk away with nuanced takes on why so many head coaching dominoes have fallen, what it means for young quarterbacks, and which programs—pro and college alike—might be headed for rebounds or further turmoil. The tone is candid, analytical, and sometimes incredulous as hosts and guests wonder aloud about the dysfunctions and potential in the teams they cover.

This hour is a must for anyone following the intersection of leadership, culture, and performance in football—and the ripple effects coaching decisions can have both immediately and down the road.