THE HERD - Hour 3 - Philip Rivers stops by with some legendary trash talk, Shedeur Sanders Named Starter

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Herd with Colin Cowherd Episode: THE HERD - Hour 3 - Philip Rivers Stops By with Some Legendary Trash Talk, Shedeur Sanders Named Starter
Release Date: August 6, 2025

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Introduction

In this engaging episode of The Herd with Colin Cowherd, released on August 6, 2025, host Colin Cowherd delves into pressing sports topics, featuring a special interview with former NFL star Philip Rivers. The discussion spans Rivers' transition into coaching, his son's burgeoning football career, and broader conversations about quarterback development and current NFL dynamics.

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Main Interview with Philip Rivers

Philip Rivers' Transition to Coaching

Colin Cowherd kicks off the main segment by reflecting on his upcoming interview with Philip Rivers, highlighting Rivers' dynamic career as an NFL quarterback and his current role as a high school football coach in Alabama.

Colin Cowherd [02:53]: "I've had this theory forever that most of the great quarterbacks... have real-life NFL preparation through their college experiences."

Comparisons Between Philip and His Son, Gunner Rivers

A significant portion of the conversation centers on Philip Rivers' son, Gunner, who has recently been named the starting quarterback. Rivers discusses Gunner's playing style and potential, drawing parallels and noting differences between father and son.

Philip Rivers [03:55]: "He's a little more traditional throwing the football than I was... he has the fire and passion for the game, but I think he's got his mom's calmness."

Philip's Intensity and Leadership Traits

Colin praises Rivers' renowned intensity on the field and his reputation as a trash talker, which earned him respect from both teammates and opponents. Rivers reflects on how his passion influenced his team's resilience and overall performance.

Colin Cowherd [04:42]: "You were a trash talker, but players, even opponents, loved you. Did you think your intensity was your best trait?"

Philip Rivers [04:42]: "The passion and the fire was genuine... it helped fuel our resiliency and how we went about the game."

The Process of Coaching and Instilling Love for the Game

Rivers shares his coaching philosophy, emphasizing the importance of loving the process and the meticulous preparation that goes into building successful game plans. He speaks passionately about the behind-the-scenes efforts that contribute to on-field success.

Philip Rivers [06:13]: "The process of every day and the chance to be on the grass with your buddies practicing football... those preparations made the game so special."

Innate Qualities vs. Teachable Skills for Quarterbacks

The discussion touches on the balance between innate talent and skills that can be coached. Rivers believes certain quarterback qualities, like field vision and anticipation, are partly innate but can also be honed through experience and coaching.

Colin Cowherd [09:04]: "Are there some things, Philip, that aren't teachable?"

Philip Rivers [09:04]: "There are some things, you know, being able to have accuracy, anticipation... some parts that you can't make vast improvements."

Philip's Thoughts on College Football Experience Impacting NFL Performance

Rivers concurs with Colin's theory that playing in more physically demanding college programs, like NC State, better prepares quarterbacks for the NFL's challenges. He shares personal anecdotes about his time at NC State and how it equipped him for professional play.

Colin Cowherd [16:56]: "Do you think there's an advantage getting beat up a little bit in college like Mahomes or Josh Allen, then going to the NFL?"

Philip Rivers [16:56]: "You get to play more games... there's nothing, no substitute for playing. You have to play."

Reflections on His Career and Durability

Rivers reflects on his remarkable streak of 240 consecutive starts in the NFL, attributing his durability to his determination and the support of his teammates. He also discusses his competitive nature and pursuit of longevity in the league.

Colin Cowherd [22:23]: "17 years, 240 consecutive starts... that is a ton of starts."

Philip Rivers [22:23]: "There were certain Sundays that weren't real fun physically... but a lot of great guys up front fought like crazy to keep me clean."

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Host's Commentary on Current NFL Topics

Browns' Quarterback Situation: Shedeur Sanders Named Starter

Colin discusses the Cleveland Browns' quarterback hierarchy, focusing on the recent name of Shedeur Sanders as the starter over Dylan Gabriel. Insights from Browns' reporter Joe Thomas highlight Sanders' superior accuracy and leadership compared to Gabriel.

Joe Thomas [36:33]: "I think Shedeur is ahead of Dylan right now... Shador has had some struggles with accuracy, and Shedeur is more accurate."

Matt Stafford's Back Injury and Future with the Rams

The conversation shifts to Matt Stafford's back injury and his status with the Los Angeles Rams. Colin expresses optimism about Stafford's recovery and his enduring toughness, contrasting him with other veteran quarterbacks like Aaron Rodgers.

Colin Cowherd [29:38]: "Matt's gonna stand there and take a hit to the very end... that's why he's an outlier."

Comparison Between Stafford and Aaron Rodgers

Colin and Jason McIntyre debate the current form and career trajectories of Matt Stafford versus Aaron Rodgers, ultimately favoring Stafford's resilience and career accomplishments.

Jason McIntyre [30:29]: "Stafford had a better career than Aaron Rodgers."

Prospects for New England's QB, Drake May

The episode also covers Drake May's emergence as the second-year quarterback for the New England Patriots. Comparisons are made to Josh Allen and Justin Herbert, with Colin expressing excitement about May's potential.

Colin Cowherd [31:50]: "It's exciting. If you're a New England fan, you've got your guy now."

Baseball Segment: Yankees' Performance and Aaron Judge

In a brief foray into baseball, the hosts discuss the New York Yankees' recent struggles despite Aaron Judge's return. They analyze the team's reliance on home runs and Judge's impact on their performance.

Colin Cowherd [34:36]: "The Yankees are very home run reliant and very Aaron Judge reliant."

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Conclusion of the Episode

Colin wraps up the episode by recapping the insightful interview with Philip Rivers and providing final thoughts on the discussed NFL and baseball topics. He emphasizes Rivers' impressive accomplishments and looks forward to future episodes.

Colin Cowherd [35:02]: "The good show today. Philip Rivers was hopefully, if you were in your car listening for about 25 minutes, he was. He's got great stories."

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Notable Quotes with Timestamps

1. Philip Rivers on His Son's Playing Style:

   "He's a little more traditional throwing the football than I was... he has the fire and passion for the game, but I think he's got his mom's calmness."
   [03:55] Philip Rivers

2. On Intensity and Team Resilience:

   "The passion and the fire was genuine... it helped fuel our resiliency and how we went about the game."
   [04:42] Philip Rivers

3. On Coaching Philosophy:

   "The process of every day and the chance to be on the grass with your buddies practicing football... those preparations made the game so special."
   [06:13] Philip Rivers

4. On Innate vs. Teachable Skills:

   "There are some things, you know, being able to have accuracy, anticipation... some parts that you can't make vast improvements."
   [09:04] Philip Rivers

5. On College Experience Preparing for the NFL:

   "You have to play."
   [16:56] Philip Rivers

6. On Durability and Consecutive Starts:

   "There were certain Sundays that weren't real fun physically... but a lot of great guys up front fought like crazy to keep me clean."
   [22:23] Philip Rivers

7. On Shedeur Sanders Leading the Browns:

   "Shedeur is more accurate."
   [36:54] Joe Thomas

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Final Thoughts

This episode of The Herd with Colin Cowherd offers a deep dive into Philip Rivers' impactful transition from NFL quarterback to high school coach, providing listeners with valuable insights into quarterback development, coaching philosophies, and the intricate dynamics of current NFL franchises. Whether you're a die-hard sports fan or new to the scene, this episode delivers comprehensive coverage of pivotal sports narratives.

Transcript

[Colin Cowherd]

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[Colin Cowherd]

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[Philip Rivers]

I deserve it, you know?

[Jason McIntyre]

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[Colin Cowherd]

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[Jason McIntyre]

Thanks for listening to the Herd Podcast. Be sure to catch us live every weekday on Fox Sports Radio at noon to 3 Eastern, 9am to noon Pacific. Find your local station for the [e-mail] or stream us live every day on the iHeartRadio app by searching Fox Sports Radio or FSR.

[Colin Cowherd]

Now, let's get this party started.

[Philip Rivers]

You're listening to Fox Sports Radio.

[Colin Cowherd]

Well, I'VE been thinking about this interview last couple of days. They told me, I get Philip Rivers, who was so animated as a player, first round pick by the Giants, traded for Eli Manning on draft day, and they both end up having absolutely remarkable careers. He is now the football coach and has been for several years in Alabama at St. Michael Catholic. His son now is the quarterback and a good one. Philip Rivers is now joining us live today. You know, I gotta tell the audience, I don't. I've never seen your son play, but his name is Gunner Rivers, and I'm telling you right now, that's a franchise quarterback name. I would draft him sight unseen on that, just on the name. Now, you were a trash talker and you had a different delivery. Does he have your kind of sidearm delivery? Is he a little trash talker? Does he, does he have some of the Philip Rivers classic traits?

[Philip Rivers]

Hey, Colin, how's it going? Yeah, no, he, he definitely, he definitely has some of the same traits. He's a little more traditional throwing the football than, than I, than I was. But a lot of people see him throw and go, dang, you throw just like your dad. So he has a little bit of that. I guess it's just genetic. And then he's a little more reserved than I am. He has the fire and passion for the game, but I think he's got his mom's calmness, which, which will probably serve him well.

[Colin Cowherd]

I think everybody, very few people had your intensity on the field. You know what's amazing? You were a trash talker, but players, even opponents, loved you. Did you think your intensity, you're obviously talented. Did you think your passion and intensity was your best trait?

[Philip Rivers]

It was, it was probably one of them. And I think, you know, I had to, had to. I had to a little bit toe the line. I probably crossed the line a few times. You know, I think there's a, there's a, there's a, you know, line that you don't want to cross to where you maybe are not helping yourself or your team. So I'm sure that I didn't always keep that in check. But I do think that the passion and the fire and the intensity was genuine. I don't think. I know it was genuine and I do think it was felt by our teammates and in some regard helped, you know, fuel kind of our personality and our, you know, resiliency and how we, how we went about the game. And then you mentioned our opponents. I mean, I hope, you know, you gain, you obviously gain respect of your opponent over Doing it for a long period of time. So maybe not early on, but I think as time grew, you gain that respect and they realize, man, this dude loves to play football. And that's really all it was as a guy playing football in the backyard. And I just never let that leave me. Although we were playing, you know, in front of, you know, a million people there on a Sunday afternoon.

[Colin Cowherd]

You know, the. You told me one time, and I've used this whenever I give a speech, I always say the great Philip Rivers told me he liked the process of building the game plan as much as the game. And can you instill that in your son or a young quarterback? Or do you think that was just your dad was a football coach? Do you think that's God given and innate that you loved practice? I can you if you, if a guy. Some of these quarterbacks I think like the game. I'm not sure they love practice. Can you teach that or did you feel that was just in you from day one?

[Philip Rivers]

Well, I do think that there was a, some of that that was just in me. But I think you gotta, you better grow to, to, to love it, to love the process, especially playing this position, you know, if you want to be great and, and you know, and maybe I didn't get to get to great, but I know I was pretty dang good for a long time. And I don't think you can get there if you just think you're going to, you know, show up and go out there and play for three and a half hours on a Sunday afternoon. And so the, you know, the process of every day and the chance to be on the grass with your buddies practicing football, you know, and sitting in a meeting room and figuring out, you know, spags is blitz patterns and Rex Ryan's blitz patterns and all these and like figuring out how we're going to get this thing picked up. To throw a touchdown to Antonio Gates. I mean that's, that's, that's what, that's a blast. Or even a third down conversion versus Zimmer's, you know, a double mug scheme. I mean those things were so fun to work on all week. And then when it came to in the game, you know, there were some, some of the most gratifying plays on a Sunday afternoon were the ones the fans didn't even realize. But it was the behind the scenes preparations, you know, and it's those, those Saturday morning walkthroughs, the bus rides, all those things that to the game. I certainly love to play. I loved the games and running out of the tunnel and all those things that I used to ask my mom and dad, hey, introduce me. You know, I'm coming out and we're playing so ever, you know, whoever and they would introduce me and I'd come running out down the hall, you know, getting introduced. So I loved that part. I'll be clear on that. But it was the process that made that part so special. And so. But I just don't know how you play quarterback and don't. Aren't all in on the process. If you're trying to be, you know, trying to be, you know, one of.

[Colin Cowherd]

The best, you know, it's. I have said this, one of the things I do think you can become more accurate with coaching. I think your footwork can improve with coaching. But there is one thing that I just think is innate. Certain quarterbacks, Mahomes, you could see this instantly. Patrick can see the field. He just sees the field. You did, Breeze did, Brady obviously did. And then I'll watch some young guys and I'm like, I don't know if they, I don't know if they can see it like there. And I know there's a film study. Did you get. Did you always have that because you were a good high school college coach. The ability to. And I've heard this said about you and I've heard this said about Peyton and Brady that when a play was over, you could look at the right side of the field and yet you knew what was going on and could see the left side of the field without staring at it. The great quarterbacks have this innate ability. They just. There's a rhythm to the secondary. And I guess my question is, are there. Can you teach that you had an innate feel for the position? Are there some things, Philip, that aren't teachable?

[Philip Rivers]

Yeah, I mean, I think that. I think yes. I mean I think there's certain things that are that and talents that so many guys have in so many different positions that are God given ability. And you can, like you said, I agree 100%. You know, we got to clean up some footwork, we got to clean up some fundamentals. We can clean up how you're reading this. Maybe your eyes are just in the wrong place. But there are some things, you know, being able to have to be accurate, you can work on accuracy. Some people just, they can throw all day long and they just aren't very accurate. And you know, accuracy, anticipation and to be able to see it all and process it fast, definitely you can improve it. But you're probably in a window, you know, someone that can't do that, you can't get them to an elite level. Someone that's pretty dang good at it, maybe you can get them to really good at it, but you can't. I don't think you can. There's certain parts of playing the position that you can't make vast improvements. And some guys, like you mentioned, Mahomes, and we could go on and on of talking about guys, they're at a certain level already that they are able to process and do those things, coached or not coached. And then now you throw in Andy Reid and some of the other coaches he's had and now and the experience that he's gained, and then you can take him to an even, even higher level. But he was already, you know, pretty dang elite at it. So I do agree, I do agree with you on those things. And you know, it's funny because. And everybody has their process. You know, me and Drew were teammates. We got to connect this weekend. It was great to see Drew. And we had such a different process in terms of our daily routine, but yet they were both, they both worked. And there's some similarities. But I say that, not to mention this about Drew, but just we all have our different routines. But I used to, I wasn't big looking at the iPad off the, you know, coming off the field now I would go look at it to see or see the pictures to confirm maybe, or dang, maybe they fooled me. I need to go see it. But a lot of times, you know, it was kind of a running joke. I'd say I saw it live, guys. I just saw it live. I don't need to come back over here and look at it again. Crap. I know I should have gone the other way, you know, so and again. And that went in an arrogant way. It was just, I saw live, you know, and so certainly I use those tools as needed over there. But yeah, there is definitely some of that. And I say it in humility because, shoot, I threw it to the other team, shoot 200 times or however many times. So I certainly make all right decisions. But I feel like I did have that ability to see it and process it quickly and throw with anticipation and be accurate. Be sure to catch live editions of the Herd, weekdays at noon Eastern, 9:00am Pacific.

[Jason McIntyre]

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[Colin Cowherd]

So I have this. I wrote about this in my first book. I've had this theory forever that most of the great quarterbacks. At one point North Carolina State had three starting quarterbacks in the NFL and Cal had two or three and USC and Ohio State had none. That you. There's an argument to be made that when you play at a North Carolina State or a Cal or a Miami of Ohio or a Purdue, that's real life in the NFL. You're getting hit. The windows are small. These USC guys are throwing to wide open wide receivers. You're not doing that at Duke, you're not doing that at NC State. That I think it was an advantage for you to go to NC State instead of an Ohio State because the NFL truth is discomfort. Nobody's that open. You don't get great protection, you're getting hit constantly. I used to joke, I remember Matt Leinert at USC one year he got sacked 11 times. He may have just fallen down half of those. He barely got touched. That when I. I'll give you an example. J.J. mcCarthy always played with a lead Michigan, a perfect offensive line. I worry about J.J. three years with Harbaugh or two years with Harbaugh. He barely got touched. Do you think there's an advantage getting beat up a little bit in college like Mahomes or Josh Allen, then going to the NFL?

[Philip Rivers]

I mean, when you. Yeah, I'm sold based on that. That minute of you saying that. I never thought of it that way and I certainly didn't ever feel like I had inferior teammates those years at NC State. But there's a combination of that. Of yeah, maybe. And even more so maybe now you don't have the you know, all the comparisons you made make perfect sense. But we felt like at NC State we were going to stink and win them all. You know, we thought we were going to win them all. So I say that with all due respect to certain teammates I had, because I had many teammates. You mentioned the quarterbacks, you know, behind me, the great receiver Tory Holt, many teammates of mine that had long careers in the NFL. But yes, and I think too you get to play, you play more games. You know, I played in 51 college football games, so I definitely felt like even more equipped than had. You go to a place and you only play two years. You play 20 games and you play from a lead and you hand it off and you throw it 18 times. I mean, I threw 100. I threw 100 passes in my first two games at NC State with Norm Chao. So. But then, but, but you're right though, you get to NFL and I was in my first few first week or two of minic and, and we had some play on, I don't remember. And I didn't throw the ball. I got to the check down, didn't throw the deep cross or deep over. And, and Cam Cameron said, why didn't you throw it? And I said, he's not open. And he said he's wide open. And I was like, dang, okay. Like that's, there's the windows and the separation. So those things, those things are all true that you say now you take a Matt liner to J.J. mcCarthy, a guy that can come from those, you know, historic programs and they can still be. Have unbelievable NFL career be great. So it's not like you can't that way. But is there something to be said for the, you know, the Texas Techs and the Wyomings and NC States of the world? Maybe. Heck yeah. And you know, I definitely think there's something to game experience and playing. There's no simulate, there's nothing, no substitute for playing. You have to play.

[Jason McIntyre]

Yeah.

[Colin Cowherd]

So Antonio Gates makes the hall of Fame. Speaking of college, never played a college football snap. Take me to. It may have been a practice. When was the first moment you're at practice or somewhere with him and you went, who's that guy? Like you knew. How long did it take for you to identify. Whoa. People can't guard him. He's too big for linebackers. He's too, he's too strong for safeties. How long did it take?

[Philip Rivers]

Well, not long. I mean, I was in my rookie year and I had a front row seat my first two years, you know, With Drew and Gates, that would have been his, you know, he was a rookie the year before me and so I got to see it, I got to see it from the sideline, you know, those first two years. And he was one of those guys that, you know, we had a Gates rule. We had a Gates rule. We had, we had the, we had the progression for the play and based off the coverage. And then we said, okay, and this one is Gates rule. And it was. Which meant, hey, if he's singled up, I don't care if the leverage is good for him, he's going to beat them anyway. And it was just that overrode that, that over, you know, the progression was then done. It was overridden by the Gates rule. But he, he had a unique ability to, he was fast and big, but he had a unique ability to understand body position and getting hands off and attacking leverage and doing those things. And, and I, you know, he was always considered this basketball guy, basketball guy, guy. But I think what he did was he was very humble in saying, crap, I want to be a football guy. And I got to learn all this. What is all these coverages and they're bracketing me and where's the help? And what. And once he learned that, then it was, then it was forget about it. And, and that's why he had that stretch, you know, seven or eight, nine year stretch. Obviously he played longer than that and his whole career was awesome, but he had that stretch where he was arguably, you know, just uncoverable.

[Colin Cowherd]

So finally your son, Gunner Rivers is, is. And you can look him up, he's going to be one of those top quarterbacks on all those recruiting things. So you're going to start hearing, do you ever watch him and think, man, he does that a little better than dad did at his age. Is there, is there anything. You're just thinking, man, he may be, he maybe have a little better fastball than dad or he may, he may move a little better than dad.

[Philip Rivers]

Oh yeah, that happens. That happens more than you'd think. I think, I think too, the game has just changed so much. You know, you and I talked a little bit off air briefly, you know, 25 years ago. Just different. The game is just different than what it is now. There wasn't seven on sevens and you know, we didn't grow up playing flag football. I mean, me and Gunner and, you know, we were playing flag football, playing against teams from Hawaii and Idaho and Arizona and all this. We were in California when he was 10 years old, you know, so you're getting to, you get to practice that anticipation and accurate accuracy as a 10 year old. And so he's just, he's just thrown the football in a competitive environment a whole lot more because of the day and age of football that we're in. And you know, it's been fun. It's fun. It's fun to coach him and his teammates and be at this, be at the school and, and coach these guys up and you know, and again, remember the mission is it's more than about the game. I remind these guys it's going to end for you at some point. Most of our guys, it's going to end when they graduate high school and hopefully, you know, Gunner and he does have some teammates that can advance and play college football. But I remind them that even if you get to play for 17 years, it does stop and the clock will end. So it's got to be more than just the X's and O's. You got to learn those, those life lessons that you get from this great sport. And I'm hopeful that I can pass some of that down to these guys and help them be better men for having the program.

[Colin Cowherd]

Well, you're a class guy. One of my favorite players. 17 years, I was looking at some of your stats. 6 most. 421 career passing touchdowns, the sixth most in NFL history. 240 consecutive starts in the regular season. That is a lot of starts. Was there ever. Did you ever have a game day when you just felt like crud and started like, like, did you ever have, I mean, you obviously were not in perfect condition. Did you ever not know an hour before a game if you're going to start?

[Philip Rivers]

No, no, I know, but, but yes, many games where it felt like crud would be an understatement. But thankfully, I mean, again, this isn't me saying, wow, look how tough I was. I really was. I had a lot of. I was blessed with, with health and the ability to go out there every Sunday. I'll just leave it at that. But there were certain Sundays that weren't real fun physically weren't real fun during the week to get there. But again, a lot of great guys up front fight like crazy to keep me clean. And then you just have some injuries you have and you deal with them and, and you. There was the one, the one record that was one of my favorite growing up. You know, I mentioned the 51 starts in a row at NC State, which at a time, at that time was a record. I think it's been broken and now These guys played 14, 15 games a year. But one of my favorite records was Brett Favre start streak. And I remember watching that going, man, he's played how many in a row, man, he's going to get to 300. And I remember just saying again, this is just as a competitor, I'm going, I'm going to chase Brett Favre's record. I'm going to get there. And I didn't play those first two years as I sat behind Drew and I realized ultimately I couldn't get there. But by golly, I was going to find a way to be second, you know, and suit up and be out there if I could every week for our team. And, and I do think there's a, you know, the best ability, as Chuck Amato told us, the best abilities, dependability. And that was one thing I was going to be. I was going to be out there. I was going to be out there every week. I was going to be out there every week and give it my all. And shoot, I know we fell short plenty of times, but they knew they could count on 17, get them everything they had for those 240 in a row.

[Colin Cowherd]

Well, my favorite interview in a long time. Philip Absolute pleasure. St. Michael Catholic High School in Alabama. He took over a program that didn't really exist. They just won their first playoff game last year. Congratulations to you and your program and they are lucky to have you as a coach. Thanks man.

[Philip Rivers]

Thanks Colin. Enjoyed it.

[Colin Cowherd]

Philip Rivers Great stories. Just impressive guy like he that there's a guy like there's a guy that he had some offensive lines that were a bit dubious. He took a few hits in his day and was always there. 240 consecutive starts in the regular season. That is a ton of we take a break. Herdline news around the corner.

[Philip Rivers]

Be sure to catch live editions of the Herd weekdays at noon Eastern, 9am Pacific on Fox Sports Radio, FS1 and the iHeartRadio app Tired of spills and.

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[Colin Cowherd]

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[Jason McIntyre]

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[Colin Cowherd]

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[Philip Rivers]

Foreign.

[Colin Cowherd]

Joe Thomas and Philip Rivers. That's Always a good day. J Mac with the news. No, no, no, no. Turn on the news.

[Philip Rivers]

This is the Herdline news.

[Colin Cowherd]

All right.

[Jason McIntyre]

Rams fans, Collins are kind of panicking about this Matt Stafford back situation. Previously he was labeled week to week, which that's not good, especially in August. But reports today say Stafford is progressing to doing on field work. He got an epidural in his back a few weeks ago and the Rams have tried to give him time to let his back heal on his own. He, that means he's hanging out, out and about in let's say the South Bay out here in la. But I'm of the belief he's going to be fine week one. This is just an old vet getting a lot of rest. I would not panic over this back stuff.

[Colin Cowherd]

I, I don't think it's a thing at all. I mean they've got, you know, here's a guy that took some hits and he's also, and we've noted this, he's the last old quarterback in the league that will stand in the pocket to the very end and take a helmet to the teeth. Dude, he has Aaron Rodgers since his, I think it's 20, 22 averages fewer big plays, 20 plus plays than Derek Carr. Oh yeah, Aaron is done getting hit. He will not sit in it. And by the way, I'd probably be more Aaron than Matt Stafford. I'm not blaming him, but Matt's gonna stand there and take a hit to the very end. Tom Brady at the end was practicing getting sacked. Aaron doesn't want to get hit, Eli didn't want to get hit. And they're great quarterbacks. Stafford will get hit. So it punitive those, those hits have added up.

[Jason McIntyre]

It is interesting the narrative surrounding these two old players here. Stafford is ascending, wins a Super bowl, projected to win a Super Bowl. No look passes. Meanwhile, Aaron Rodgers has been an unmitigated disaster since forcing his way out of Green Bay. Obviously there was the injury, but I'll tell you right now, if Stafford gets back to another super bowl, we're going to be talking, I guarantee you, super bowl week. Well, Stafford had a better career than Aaron Rodgers.

[Colin Cowherd]

I've been high school, college, early pro, late pro. Stafford's better now. Now, was there a nine year period in the middle when Aaron, with a really good organization and always having good offensive lines was better than Stafford in Detroit? Yes, but this goes back to something we talked about earlier. If you're great, great will find you. Sean McVay found a quarterback in a losing franchise who gets Kept losing and said, that is special. So it's like, it's justice. Like this guy deserved finally to get a great coach. He was just too talented to not. John Elway was eventually going to find his magical coach and he got it with Shanahan, certainly.

[Jason McIntyre]

Let's move on to Drake May, the hype continues to build. For the second year QB in New England, he's been getting comparisons to Josh Allen, the reigning mvp. Here's May responding to that compliment.

[Drake May]

He's the mvp. I think the comparisons are. I got a lot of work to do, you know, with kind of even being in the same, you know, stratosphere or atmosphere as Josh. So luckily he's in the division, so we got some good matchups. Looking forward to. But really, comparisons, I'm just trying to be myself. And hey, at the end of the day, some people think that, I mean, that's a lot of, you know, respect for him, but I think I got a lot of work to do for that.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah, I think his comp is Herbert, and I think it's an accurate one. I don't think there is a comp for Josh Allen.

[Jason McIntyre]

Josh Allen and Herbert are the two comps, essentially.

[Colin Cowherd]

No, no pressure. Drake, there is no. Yeah, I mean, I can see Justin Herbert, you can see it. Same size. They move well. You can. You can see Herbert. You can see it in college. There is no comp for Josh Allen. There's never been anything quite like it.

[Jason McIntyre]

What about Dave Craig from your Seattle days?

[Colin Cowherd]

He's a comp for Josh Allen.

[Jason McIntyre]

I'm just kidding.

[Colin Cowherd]

But.

[Jason McIntyre]

But in all honesty, he was really good. State stood in the pocket. I don't think he was as mobile as Drake.

[Colin Cowherd]

Drake's. I mean, when you watch Drake right there, you. You can see it. I mean, he's got a. He's really talented and he has had nothing to work with. So, I mean, they've got their. They've got their. It's exciting. If you're a New England fan, you've got your guy now. How great will he be? But listen, Chicago's never had their guy like some of these organizations. I mean, Tampa before Brady, I mean, they look forever. The jets, they're still looking for another Namath.

[Jason McIntyre]

Thanks.

[Colin Cowherd]

So, I mean, it just. When you have Drake, May, it's like, okay, 12 years. Let's just get him protected and get him weapons. You've got your guy.

[Jason McIntyre]

All right, let's wrap up with a little baseball. My Yanks, they got Aaron Judge back last night, but it did not matter. They lost their fifth straight, a 20 defeat against the Rangers. Yanks have lost five straight. People are panicking. I think it's time to take a deep breath. Here's Judge talking to the media after the game.

[I]

We got some work to do. You know, a lot of things to clean up with the boys in here fired up to, you know, change all that and get things right. And we got a great ball club in here. So it's a lot of mistakes all around, you know, some mental mistakes and physical micro mistakes. But yeah, guys are. We got to fix them and we got to fix them now.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah, they're very. They're very. I mean, once Garrett Cole's gone, you lose your ace. You become very Aaron Judge reliant. And he just got back. He would. He was out and they didn't play well. They're very home run reliant and very Aaron Judge reliant. They, for all the money they spend, and I think the Dodgers and the Mets spend more. I think they're third, I think right now in baseball for all, for all the money they spend, they feel like they have a little bit of an uneven roster. And I mean, they're just very Judge and home run reliant.

[Jason McIntyre]

All the Dodgers fans here put together this interesting chart. Yankees compared to the arguably worst team in baseball, the White Sox, since July 6th. So we're looking at a month of data here. Not great when you're compared to a historically bad White Sox team. I will just say the Yanks are.

[Colin Cowherd]

Going to be okay.

[Jason McIntyre]

They're still firmly in the wild card mix. There's like 45ish games left in the season. Everybody goes through these lulls.

[Colin Cowherd]

They're going to be all right. The Dodgers was it about six weeks ago. The Dodgers were tire fired. They got swept by the Brewers. Yeah, I mean, they got swept by the Brewers. They couldn't score. They had injuries. You have 162 games. I'm sorry. Ask players. Players have ultimate urgency. If you have a couple pitching injuries, you're done right now. The Yankees have a, you know, Aaron Boone, the bullpen and Devin Williams or, you know, it's just they got back end issues. It's the way it works. J. Mac with the news.

[Philip Rivers]

Well, that's the news and thanks for stopping by. The herd lie news.

[Colin Cowherd]

The good show today. Philip Rivers was hopefully, if you were in your car listening for about 25 minutes, he was. He's got great stories. And Joe Thomas came on earlier today and you know, you get these days on the Internet, I swear to God, between AI and the tribal nature of political fans, half the time I don't even know. And then you got people on the Internet that are pretending they're Adam Schefter. I mean, I don't know what is true and what's not. So with Cleveland, the video I've seen, I think Shador Sanders looks better than Dylan Gabriel. Now you say, well, you know, Dylan's getting snaps with the better players. I will say this. The Browns have a very weak receiving core. So the difference between the number two receiver for the Browns and the number four is probably not that great. They're both throwing it, just guys. But Joe Thomas earlier today on.

[Annabe]

On.

[Colin Cowherd]

On sort of how he views the current Browns quarterback pecking order.

[J]

I think Shador is ahead of Dylan right now. Dylan clearly has some things that he does really well. Obviously his mobility, his ability to get outside the pocket. But the challenge of being a short quarterback, especially in the NFL and NFL passing offenses, is that you have to throw to a spot.

[Philip Rivers]

A lot of times.

[J]

You have to build that trust and that understanding of looking at the structure of the defense, knowing where the ball needs to go. So far, Shador has, I think, in my opinion, outplayed Dillon at this point in training camp because Dylan's had some struggles with accuracy. And Chidor, although it's not been great with the procedural side of things, when he's up there under the. Under the center and he's trying to make calls and adjustments at the line of scrimmage, he's getting everybody lined up.

[Colin Cowherd]

The snap count, I don't know, of all the voices in Cleveland, that's the one you know. And that's not a knock on the other journalists and all the people. Mary Kay Cabot, I know she's been very optimistic with Shador Sanders. Mary Kay Cabot's excellent. She's been optimistic. And Joe Thomas is like, I like him better than Dylan Gabriel. That's what I'm going to trust, and I'm going to trust my eyes. He's just a bigger kid that throws the ball more accurately, more often. I don't know what he's, you know, I don't know, lining people up. Maybe he's not as good at that. I think you can develop that over time and reps and practice. But here's Joe Thomas also. The other thing I asked him about, I said, and Joe, I don't know the number. Joe Thomas must have had 40 quarterbacks behind him, at least 25. I mean, it was a different guy every week. But One of the stories that came out is a team that's the Browns rival the Steelers and these are Pittsburgh reporters saying, yeah, this Aaron thing is very dink and dunk. He won't throw the ball down the field. And my take is he doesn't trust the offensive line. He didn't trust the Jets O line and the Steelers O line according to PFF is worse. And here's Joe Thomas on older quarterbacks and Aaron Rodgers sometimes going underneath instead of sitting and waiting the extra beat.

[J]

The young quarterbacks, they don't know any better, right? Their, their youth is their ignorance and it serves them well because they're willing to stand in there and they're willing to take those hits right in the chops. And I think that remains to be seen a little bit with Aaron Rodgers because he's never been a guy that loved being hit. I mean he's never been a huge guy, but he's always had great feet. He's always been able to extend the play, get out of the pocke with his athleticism. And we really didn't see that with the Jets. And so far coming out of the Steelers training camp, there's been some conversation about him not really showing great mobility, not showing an ability to escape the pocket, escape the rush. And that comes into question then about how much is he willing to be able to just stand in there and extend the play if he can't do it with his feet anymore and he's not willing to take the hits?

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah, and I, and I, that's why I've said is I said this two, three days ago when I read multiple stories out of the Steelers. I think it's going to look like a more polished, better coach version of the Jets. Aaron doesn't want to take the hits and I don't blame him. Brady didn't, Peyton didn't. Eli didn't. Aaron doesn't. Stafford's an outlier. He'll sit in there to the very end. Philip Rivers took some shots. Big Ben took way too many shots. In my opinion, Big Ben would hold the ball later in his career. It's like, bro, get out of there. But I mean, when you watch this video, you know, you can watch his movement. He doesn't look like 26 year old Aaron. He doesn't. He's an older guy, so. And since 2022, the staff put it here the last season in Green Bay, Aaron's got fewer, what they call big pass plays, 20 plus yards than Derek Carr. And that's, it's not that Aaron can't throw it deep. He's just not going to sit in the pocket and take shots. Now. I think if he played with the Lions or the Eagles and their lines, those numbers would all change. It's not his lack of ability. Aaron still 10 hits, his lack of willingness to get hammered. He got no interest in that stuff. All right, we're done. We are done. I think we fulfilled our obligation for three hours. See you tomorrow. Okay.

[Jason McIntyre]

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[Colin Cowherd]

That doesn't happen often. They admitted they effed up and they're bringing back the original Cool Rush scent. They're bringing it back and it's exactly.

[Jason McIntyre]

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[Colin Cowherd]

There's a reason it's the number one men's antiperspirant. And it's back in Walmart, Target and.

[Jason McIntyre]

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[Colin Cowherd]

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[Jason McIntyre]

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[Colin Cowherd]

Listen, baseball season's here.

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[Annabe]

Org.

[Colin Cowherd]

This is an iHeart podcast.