The Herd with Colin Cowherd – “What’s Wright” NFL Week 16 Reaction

Host: Nick Wright
Co-host: Damanze
Date: December 24, 2025
Episode Theme: NFL Week 16 storylines, including Chiefs’ stadium relocation, thrilling Bears comeback, Ravens’ struggles, and more.

Episode Overview

This episode focuses on the fallout and highlights from NFL Week 16. Nick Wright and Damanze break down major storylines, including:

• The Kansas City Chiefs’ planned move across state lines and the new stadium debate
• Key on-field moments from the week: Caleb Williams' comeback, Ravens’ heartbreak, and AFC/NFC playoff pictures
• Deep dives into fan conduct, NFL discipline, and the evolving nature of football stadiums
• Quickfire takes on other NFL games and playoff implications

Key Discussion Points & Insights

DK Metcalf Fan Incident and Player-Fan Boundaries ([04:09] – [15:12])

• Incident: DK Metcalf, Steelers WR, suspended 2 games for striking a fan.
• Nick’s Take: While fans can be obnoxious, lines must be drawn. Pro athletes, especially NFL players with “gladiator mentality,” must never cross into hitting spectators.
  • Quote (Nick, 10:55): “We've become a little too liberal with words being allowed and a little too conservative with punches that are allowed.”
• Debate over Justification: Damanze and Nick discuss what, if anything, justifies a player striking a fan. Nick insists only extreme provocation (racial slurs, etc.) warrants a punch—but falsely claiming provocation is worse.
• NFL’s Zero-Tolerance: Nick drives home how the NFL must maintain a hard line (“you can’t hit the customers”), even more so than the NBA, because of the physicality and size of players.

Kansas City Chiefs’ Stadium Move: Geography, Politics & Football ([21:11] – [36:55])

• Move Clarified: Chiefs plan to relocate from Missouri to a new $1.8B domed stadium in Kansas by 2031.
  • Move is essentially local (20 minutes west), still retains “Kansas City Chiefs” identity (Quote, Nick, 21:26: “This is not a team moving, the way teams move, like Baltimore going to Cleveland…”).
• Public Subsidy Debate: Nick opposes public funding in major markets, but concedes smaller/mid markets like KC face real threats of losing teams, so subsidies are more defensible.
  • “The only thing that distinguishes Kansas City from Des Moines, Iowa, or Omaha, Nebraska is the Chiefs and the Royals” ([23:35]).
• Cross-border Bidding War: The Chiefs leveraged Kansas/Missouri rivalry—playing one state against another—to secure a record public funding package.
• Football Purity & Domes: Nick laments loss of weather as a game factor—from open Arrowhead to a climate-controlled dome, which diminishes what makes football special in Midwest cities.
  • Quote (Nick, 32:09): “To me, [a dome] is not worth the trade off of football slowly but surely eliminating weather as a component.”
• Super Bowl Myth: “Just because KC gets a dome doesn’t mean it will regularly host Super Bowls… it shouldn’t.”
  • Nick prefers Super Bowls in “destination cities” like Miami, New Orleans, Vegas.

State of the Ravens and Lamar Jackson’s Exits ([47:32] – [58:53])

• Ravens Lose Again: Another blown lead, injuries mounting, playoff hopes fading after Lamar leaves with a rib injury.
• Lamar’s Durability Questioned: Both hosts express surprise—and mild skepticism—over Lamar not returning after what is later reported as a “contusion.”
  • Quote (Nick, 53:49): “It’s just another weird injury thing with Lamar… if this was [other elite QBs], do we think we wouldn’t have seen them at least try to return?”
• Harbaugh’s Tenure: Nick wonders if the Lamar-Harbaugh partnership has run its course.
• Franchise Underachievement: Baltimore spent three years as a perceived Super Bowl favorite but has only two playoff wins in that span.

AFC North Playoff Picture: Pittsburgh, Detroit, and End-Game Drama ([59:12] – [63:04])

• Pittsburgh vs. Detroit: Critical goal-line sequence dissected:
  • Nick criticizes Detroit for passing on the 1-yard line instead of running (“Run the ball… You’re supposed to be smashmouth!” [59:47]).
  • Controversy, but ultimately, officials right to negate Detroit’s final lateral—progress was obviously stopped.
• Pittsburgh’s Playoff Path: If the Steelers beat the Browns, they lock up the #4 seed and a much-needed “bye” week for aging starters.

Bears’ Caleb Williams, Comeback Thriller & QB Development ([67:09] – [71:10])

• Dramatic Win: Bears beat Packers in OT after recovering an onside kick.
• Caleb’s Clutch: All of Williams’ big moments came after the lucky onside kick (“Sometimes you need that opening to redeem yourself” [67:35]) but the talent is obvious, though inconsistency remains.
• Backup QBs: Malik Willis (Packers) lauded; Matt LaFleur’s success developing backups may pay off as QBs look to rehab careers in Green Bay.
• Playoff Math: Detailed breakdown of what needs to happen for NFC North teams to get in.

Jaguars’ Upset & AFC Seeding Possibilities ([71:51] – [75:28])

• Trevor Lawrence Outshines Expectations: Jaguars’ 34-point explosion on Denver's top defense puts them in contention for the AFC’s No. 1 seed.
• Complex Scenarios: Nick quickly outlines the Jags’ playoff math—potential to land the 1, 2, or 3 seed by winning out and getting a bit of help.
  • “Sites are higher [for Jags]… I didn’t expect that good against that Denver defense.” ([72:05])

NFC Playoff Race and Other Notables ([76:02] – [81:54])

• Rams’ Costly Loss: A late collapse against the Seahawks makes top seed odds slim despite being deemed “the best team” by Nick.
  • “Every concern you had about Darnold… he lived up to those concerns for the first three and a half quarters” ([76:34]).
• Niners’ Offense Elite: Purdy shines, though Nick reiterates his skepticism about SF’s defense and the ongoing debate about Purdy’s real value.
• Weather as an Equalizer: Emphasized again as Nick expresses his preference for cold-weather playoff games for drama and fairness.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On fan conduct and boundaries (Nick, 10:55):
  “We've become a little too liberal with words being allowed and a little too conservative with punches that are allowed.”

• On the Chiefs’ move (Nick, 21:26):
  “This is not a team moving, the way teams move, like Baltimore going to Cleveland…”

• On public subsidies for sports (Nick, 23:35):
  “The only thing that distinguishes Kansas City from Des Moines, Iowa, or Omaha, Nebraska is the Chiefs and the Royals.”

• On domes vs. weather (Nick, 32:09):
  “To me, [a dome] is not worth the trade off of football slowly but surely eliminating weather as a component.”

• Ravens collapse (Nick, 53:49):
  “It’s just another weird injury thing with Lamar… if this was [other elite QBs], do we think we wouldn’t have seen them at least try to return?”

• Caleb Williams’ heroics (Nick, 67:35):
  “Post onside kick, Caleb was unreal. Sometimes you need that little opening to redeem yourself.”

Timestamps for Important Segments

• DK Metcalf fan incident: [04:09] – [15:12]
• Chiefs’ stadium move and dome pros/cons: [21:11] – [36:55]
• Baltimore Ravens injuries and playoff collapse: [47:32] – [58:53]
• Pittsburgh’s goal-line stand vs. Detroit: [59:12] – [63:04]
• Bears come back, Caleb Williams: [67:09] – [71:10]
• Jags postseason chances: [71:51] – [75:28]
• NFC wild card chase and other notes: [76:02] – [81:54]

Tone, Style, and Interaction

The episode maintains Nick Wright’s conversational, opinionated, and slightly combative tone, with plenty of humor and off-the-cuff analogies. Damanze acts as an insightful counterpoint, bringing measured questions and supporting opinions, especially regarding player injuries and team identity. There’s a palpable mix of local pride (in KC), old-school football values, betting talk, and appreciation for drama in the NFL’s late season.

In Summary

This Week 16 NFL breakdown blends big-picture sports business analysis (Chiefs’ stadium politics), classic NFL debates (fan interaction, dome vs. weather, playoff seeding), and rapid-fire reactions to every major game. Notable for its honesty, jokes, and depth, the episode will delight NFL fans seeking both context and strong takes on how football—and the business around it—is changing.