Podcast Summary: "What's Wright - Nick Wright Mailbag: NFL Club Superstar, RANKING current NBA players all-time, Josh Allen vs. Lamar"

The Herd with Colin Cowherd
Host: Nick Wright, co-hosted by Damanze
Date: February 20, 2026
Episode 428

Episode Overview

This episode of "What's Wright with Nick Wright" is a listener mailbag special inspired by the Bill Simmons format. Nick and Damanze dig into audience questions, with topics ranging from NFL career choices (e.g. Josh Allen vs. Lamar Jackson), single defining plays of the Chiefs dynasty, the concept of "NFL Club Superstar" (one per position), in-depth NBA player rankings among the all-time top 50, sports betting philosophy, and Nick's personal journey in sports media. The tone is conversational and candid, with plenty of storytelling, hot takes, and memorable moments.

NFL Mailbag Discussion

1. Josh Allen vs. Lamar Jackson: Which Career Would You Rather Have?

• Sam Darnold is easily the third choice, due to less money, less stability, and being subject to more derision than Allen or Jackson.
• On Allen vs. Jackson, Nick says:

  "I think Josh’s public approval rating, as a player, is just higher. And while their careers are very similar, and Lamar is actually the more decorated player...I think Josh is kind of, at this point, widely—if the answer isn’t Mahomes, it’s considered Josh." (Nick, 06:25)

• If Allen never gets to a Super Bowl, "every time people tell his story...the first paragraph is going to be about another player in Mahomes, Patrick," marking an unfortunate legacy parallel to Patrick Ewing vs. Michael Jordan.

2. Chiefs Dynasty: The Gut-Wrenching Play

• Most fans cite "the Dee Ford offsides" in the AFC title game against the Patriots (08:59).
• Nick argues the loss was ultimately beneficial:

  "I have come to the belief that the Dee Ford offsides play, and losing that game, was good for the Chiefs’ next half-decade...they fired [Bob Sutton], brought in Spags, and Spags was so critical. He’s still there." (Nick, 10:52)

• Other game-changers discussed: the failed play before halftime vs. the Bengals and Mahomes' Super Bowl pick-six vs. the Eagles (12:21).

3. Building NFL Club Superstar

• One player per position (or group) is allowed.
• Nick’s selections:
  • QB: Patrick Mahomes ("Anybody disagrees can go to hell." – 14:27)
  • WR: Justin Jefferson (14:33)
  • RB: Derrick Henry
  • OL: Lane Johnson (Eagles RT)
  • DE: Myles Garrett ("With respect to Micah [Parsons] and Crosby...")
  • DT: Chris Jones ("The only active DT who’s a guaranteed Hall of Famer.")
  • MLB: Fred Warner
  • CB: Patrick Surtain II
  • S: Kyle Hamilton
  • Wildcards: Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson, Micah Parsons
• No kickers or punters unless exceptional circumstances arise.

NBA Deep Dive

4. Ranking Current NBA Players All-Time (Last 50 Years)

• Listener asks about where Tatum, Jokic, and SGA fit in Nick’s top 50 (21:34).
• Framework: Only last 50 years; old-timers like Russell, Wilt, Oscar drop current guys a spot in the larger all-time view.
• Jokic is now "right outside the top 10", at #11, just behind Steph Curry and ahead of Moses Malone & Dr. J (23:55).

  • "If he gets a second [title], we start having a real Jokic v. Steph/Shaq/Dream/Bird group debate." (Nick, 24:00)

• SGA would slot in just above James Harden, at #25.
• Jayson Tatum would slot at #33, between Kawhi Leonard and Scottie Pippen.

  • "Tatum slightly behind SGA, even though that doesn’t feel right to me, but it feels like it has to be." (Nick, 27:39)

5. Mount Rushmore of International NBA Players

• Jokic, Hakeem Olajuwon (“Dream”), Dirk Nowitzki, and Giannis Antetokounmpo

  • "Jokic, Dream, Dirk, Giannis has to be your Mount Rushmore of international players...They all won league MVPs, championships, Finals MVPs..." (Nick, 28:42)

• Tim Duncan is not included; US Virgin Islands are considered part of the United States for NBA purposes.

6. Picking a Team to Root For (As a "Free Agent Fan")

• Knicks: Best for "easy-to-root-for superstar, diehard fanbase, games on TV a ton."
• Nuggets: Tempting due to Jokic but risky for long-term fandom.
• Pistons: The answer for combining runway, coolness, and history.

  • "I think the Detroit Pistons. You get for the next decade...Cool basketball history...I think that might be the right answer." (31:49)

Sports Betting & Personal Philosophy

7. Does being a 'Hot Take Specialist' Hurt Your Betting?

• Nick admits his strong opinions sometimes cloud value betting:

  "I simply don't have the discipline or ability to bet against my takes...I would never bet on what I'm hoping won't happen." (Nick, 33:05)

• He often bets on what he wants to happen, not just value.

8. Gambling 101/201 Content Request

• Nick affirms he’ll do a sports betting strategy series before the next football season.
• Key point:

  "If you are doing $10 to win $1,000 parlays...it is in the same ballpark as buying lottery tickets. It’s for fun, not a long-term money-making strategy." (Nick, 44:25–46:31)

• Strong emphasis on gambling as entertainment, not as income.

Nick Wright's Personal Journey & Reflections

9. "When Did You Know You Wanted Sports Broadcasting?"

• As a child, Nick believed he'd make the NBA, remembered crying at Moses Malone's basketball card, worried about being traded like Moses (34:40).

  "I was dead set to the point of, I was very emotional kid...I'm just worried that when I make the NBA, I'm going to get traded like Moses Malone." (Nick, 35:17)

• By age 10 or 11, he pivoted from wanting to play to wanting to broadcast (36:46), inspired by meeting Bob Costas:

  "When I was like 12, I met Bob Costas...he said he went to Syracuse, worked at WAR, and I was just like, okay, that's what I'm going to do. And that's what I did." (Nick, 37:50)

10. On Doing a Weekly Current Events Episode

• Nick is hesitant; wants to be well-researched on non-sports topics:

  "If all of a sudden...someone asked about the curling controversy, I could give a take, and if I'm wrong, oh well. Doing that about things that actually matter, I'd feel immoral." (Nick, 49:34 & 50:36)

• Respects the responsibility of his platform, only opines on topics when fully informed (52:15).
• Criticizes "strong opinion on everything" types as not credible (52:54).

Light-hearted & Rapid Q&A

• Should Stephen A. Smith run for president? Nick: No; worries about the trend toward entertainers as presidents, but concedes he might crush in debates (39:23–42:06).
• Will the US advance out of its World Cup group? Nick: "Utter catastrophe" if not. Minimum success is round of 16, goal should be quarterfinals (42:09).
• If Lamar Jackson left the Ravens and won a ring elsewhere, how would a Ravens fan feel?
  • Damanze: More happy for Lamar than sad for the Ravens—he's a Lamar fan, not a lifelong Ravens fan (54:54).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "Anybody disagrees [about Mahomes as Club Superstar QB] can go to hell." — Nick, 14:27
• "If the answer isn't Mahomes, I think [Josh Allen] is widely considered it's Josh." — Nick, 07:06
• "Jokic, Dream, Dirk, Giannis has to be your Mount Rushmore of international players." — Nick, 28:42
• "I simply don't have the discipline or ability to bet against my takes." — Nick, 33:05
• "If you are doing $10 to win $1000 parlays, it's in the same ballpark as buying lottery tickets." — Nick, 46:08
• "I have a lot of respect for people who have the ability to say, 'I don't know much about that.'" — Nick, 52:16

Timestamps for Key Segments

• NFL mailbag/QB careers: 04:09–08:51
• Chiefs dynasty heartbreaks: 08:51–13:46
• NFL Club Superstar picks: 13:56–18:25
• NBA all-time/top 50: 21:34–27:39
• Mount Rushmore international NBA: 27:43–29:23
• Picking a new NBA team: 29:43–32:25
• Sports betting philosophy: 32:33–34:17, 44:16–49:13
• Nick's career inspiration: 34:24–38:28
• Stephen A. Smith for president: 38:28–42:06
• World Cup expectations: 42:06–44:16
• Weekly current events pod? 49:25–54:11
• If Lamar leaves the Ravens: 54:54–55:48

Overall Tone and Takeaways

• Playful, candid, sometimes self-deprecating.
• Deep sports knowledge, honest about personal biases.
• Balanced between analysis, humor, and personal reflection.
• Emphasis on the importance of responsible sports betting and skepticism about giving opinions on things beyond one’s expertise.
• Encourages a sense of community and acknowledges the importance of audience engagement.

For listeners:

You’ll come away with an updated sense of the NFL and NBA’s key figures, Nick Wright’s sports worldview, and several behind-the-scenes stories and philosophies from one of sports media’s most outspoken voices. If you’re interested in fan psychology, gambling, or all-time lists, this mailbag is a particularly rich listen.