The Herd with Colin Cowherd

Episode: THE HERD - Hour 3 - Tom Brady Talks Eagles vs. Chiefs, JJ McCarthy, and Coaching QBs
Date: September 11, 2025
Host: Colin Cowherd
Guest: Tom Brady
Network: iHeartPodcasts and The Volume

Episode Overview

In this hour of “The Herd,” Colin Cowherd dives deep into the biggest NFL storylines of the week: the high-octane Eagles-Chiefs showdown, the early trajectories of quarterbacks J.J. McCarthy and Caleb Williams, and the nuances of coaching and developing NFL QBs. Seven-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady joins the show for a candid, insightful discussion about QB development, the importance of offensive lines, emotional and mental aspects of quarterbacking, and what separates good from great at football’s most demanding position.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Eagles vs. Chiefs Rematch: Offensive Lines and Leadership

[02:55 - 05:08, 11:17 - 12:41]

• Chiefs' O-Line Struggles: Colin and his co-hosts dissect the consistent issues Kansas City faces at tackle, highlighting poor PFF grades for both Josh Simmons and Jawaan Taylor.

  • Colin predicts another tough outing for Mahomes against a dominant Eagles front:

    “I think this could get ugly. I think Philadelphia rolls.” (03:49, Colin Cowherd)

• Philadelphia’s Loaded Roster: Colin asserts that the Eagles boast nearly all of the top talent in the game, questioning the Chiefs’ ability to hang in the trenches.

  • Roster depth and O-line control as keys to victory:

    “Right now Philadelphia's roster... there's not a lot of holes.” (11:17, Colin Cowherd)

• Tom Brady on Offensive Line Importance:

  “I always say you control the line of scrimmage, you control the game... It takes someone like Patrick Mahomes to have that Mahomes magic and pull the rabbit out of his hat.” (26:21, Tom Brady)

  • Brady recounts how poor O-line play unsettled him in key games, and details Mahomes’ unique challenge in having to navigate frequent changes up front.

2. J.J. McCarthy, Caleb Williams & Rookie QB Development

[03:54 - 06:02, 12:41 - 14:35, 23:06 - 25:14]

• J.J. McCarthy's Emotional Edge:

  • Tom Brady sees J.J. McCarthy’s fourth-quarter surge as evidence of elite emotional engagement, drawing comparisons with Baker Mayfield’s on-field fire:

    “I absolutely love it when I see that type of emotion... When you're electrified as a player, you play with the most focus, the most anticipation...” (23:58, Tom Brady)

• On-Script vs. Off-Script QB Play:

  • Caleb Williams excels on script, but struggles when forced outside the structure; J.J. McCarthy stands out for late-game, off-script heroics.

    “My general takeaway is Caleb Williams was at his best on script. JJ McCarthy was at his best the last three drives, mostly off script.” (14:35, Colin Cowherd)

  • Caleb Williams’ concerning stats:

    “He leads the NFL the last 18 games in overthrows... Footwork, pre snap penalties—leads the league... The operations are a problem pre snap.” (13:12, Colin Cowherd)

• Greg Cosell on Rookie QBs:

  • Regarding Caleb Williams:

    “He's got things that need to be clearly worked on... But that's not the way you can live in the NFL as you know, week to week.” (12:42, Greg Cosell)

  • On J.J. McCarthy’s development:

    “JJ McCarthy will reap the benefits of Kevin O'Connell being one of the best in the league at being able to do this.” (14:12, Greg Cosell)

3. The Realities & Nuances of QB Coaching and Development

[28:15 - 38:00]

• Coaching Quality Makes or Breaks QBs:

  • Brady points out the wild variance in the NFL when it comes to coaching quality and development environments:

    “You're assuming that everybody knows how to develop a quarterback. I'm telling you, there's a lot of people who have no idea what they're doing...” (32:52, Tom Brady)

  • What does genuine development look like? Brady describes Bill Belichick’s hands-on education in defensive coverages during his early years, contrasting it with the lack of such support for many of today’s rookies:

    “I had a defensive coach, the best one of all time, teach me how to read defenses.” (34:05, Tom Brady)

• Mental and Emotional Processing > Physical Talent:

  • Brady credits his success to mental and emotional capacities, not elite physical gifts:

    “What I lacked for maybe in a bit of physical development, I far exceeded a lot of other people in mental, emotional development. And that's a hard thing to evaluate.” (36:03, Tom Brady)

  • On the challenges for new QBs:

    “If you're sitting in the meeting room and learning, I actually think that's the best way to learn... because you can learn and practice by making a lot of good decisions, bad decisions, without necessarily being critiqued from the outside world and losing your confidence.” (29:30, Tom Brady)

• The Dangers of Fast-Tracking Rookie QBs:

  • Colin argues that by Thanksgiving of year 2, a QB’s future should be clear—Brady pushes back, highlighting that poor situations and coaching can doom talented prospects before they have a chance to bloom.

    “After Thanksgiving, your second year, they're going, 'Man, this guy just can't play anymore. He stinks.'... Did you teach him anything? Did you groom him?” (34:41, Tom Brady)

4. The Nature of Poise, Confidence, and Off-the-Charts QB Traits

[38:00 - 41:17]

• Innate Poise in Big Moments:

  • Colin and Brady debate whether ultimate calm under pressure is innate or can be developed.

    “I believe the one thing you can't teach... is you are either calm in crisis or you're not. If you're anxious in a teeth clencher, it never goes away.” (39:15, Colin Cowherd)

  • Brady agrees, suggesting that the greats play “with no fear of failure,” enabling great focus:

    “There's poise and composure in big moments that I do think separates kind of elite performers... Probably a high sense of self-confidence in big situations... There are certain people who have, no fear of failure. And that frees you up to go out and be your best.” (39:23, Tom Brady)

• Naming Names: Stafford, Mahomes, and True Pre-Snap Masters:

  • Brady highlights Matthew Stafford’s “elite” level of pre-snap processing, singling out his use of no-look passes and deep defensive understanding. He also credits Mahomes, but laments the lack of mental/emotional development in most young QBs.

    “Matt Stafford just jumps to the top of my mind... That is an elite level of play and his ability to recognize defenses and then make those type of throws. So he's the one.” (28:59, Tom Brady)

Notable Quotes (w/ Timestamps & Attribution)

• On Emotional Energy in QBs

  “When you're electrified as a player, you play with the most focus, the most anticipation, everything ends up being at the highest sense of alertness.”
  (23:58, Tom Brady)

• On O-Line Importance

  “I always say you control the line of scrimmage, you control the game.”
  (26:21, Tom Brady)

• On Rookie QB Development

  “You're assuming that everybody knows how to develop a quarterback. There’s a lot of people who have no idea what they're doing when they're tasked with coaching a quarterback.”
  (32:52, Tom Brady)

• On Mental/Emotional Edge Over Physical Skills

  “What I lacked for maybe in a bit of physical development, I far exceeded a lot of other people in mental, emotional development.”
  (36:03, Tom Brady)

• On Unteachable Poise

  “There are certain people who have, I would say, no fear of failure. And that allows you... to go out and be your best.”
  (39:23, Tom Brady)

• On Stafford as a Pre-Snap Elite QB

  “Matt Stafford just jumps to the top of my mind... That's an elite level of play and his ability to recognize defenses and then make those type of throws.”
  (28:59, Tom Brady)

Memorable Moments

• Brady vividly describes the lack of development for QBs in some NFL organizations, even distinguishing between the “32nd ranked offensive coordinator” and the top ones (32:52 - 36:40).
• The in-depth comparison and critique of Caleb Williams versus JJ McCarthy in their rookie seasons, breaking down "on script" vs "off script" play (14:12 - 14:35, 13:12 - 14:12).
• Brady’s anecdotes about Belichick personally tutoring him on NFL defensive concepts, demonstrating how rare it is for today’s QBs to get such mentorship (34:05 - 34:40).
• The mutual admiration between Colin and Brady about the art of staying composed in high-pressure moments, referencing Mahomes and Tiger Woods (39:23 - 41:17).

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Eagles vs. Chiefs preview (news & analysis): 02:55 – 05:08, 11:17 – 12:41
• JJ McCarthy & emotional quarterbacking: 03:54 – 04:47, 23:06 – 25:14
• Caleb Williams critique & on/off script play: 13:12 – 14:35
• Tom Brady on O-lines and Mahomes: 26:21 – 28:15
• Elite pre-snap quarterbacking (Brady on Stafford/Mahomes): 28:59
• QB coaching & development pitfalls: 32:52 – 36:40
• Innate poise under pressure: 39:15 – 41:17

Episode Takeaways

• Elite QBs aren’t made by talent alone: They need developmental support, emotional stability, and high football IQ to thrive.
• NFL organizations often fail QBs more than QBs fail themselves: Especially when coaching, structure, or O-line talent is lacking.
• The gap between average and elite quarterbacking is as much about what happens before and between snaps (mental, emotional, leadership), as physical talents.
• The Eagles-Chiefs Super Bowl rematch will likely hinge on O-line play and whether Mahomes can conjure magic against a superior roster.
• No one in sports media (or football) quite breaks down the intricacies of QB play and development like Tom Brady.