The Herd with Colin Cowherd - 3 & Out - Best of The Week: Jerry Jones is losing it, Top 5 storylines heading into the season, Ben Johnson getting his start

Episode Date: July 27, 2025

This week on the podcast John reacted to Jerry Jones talking to the media and how he needs to start thinking before he speaks, his top 5 storylines heading into the NFL season, and how Ben Johnson is already proving that he is the leader the Bears need.. All that and more! Follow John on Twitter, Instagram and YouTube for the latest. Check out Gametime - the fastest growing ticketing app in the US, and the official ticketing app of 3 & Out and GoLow -  for tickets to all of your favorite NFL, NBA, NHL, NCAA teams. Concert and comedy show tickets, too. Go to Gametime now to create an account, download the app and use code JOHN for $20 off your first purchase. #VolumeSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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What's going on, everybody? How are we doing? Hopefully you're having a great weekend. I'm John, this three and out podcast. And what we try to do from time to time is doing. a little best of. And this week, we had a lot going on. We have the NFL back in full swing. I repeat, full swing. People are practicing, people are getting injured. We've got a lot of stuff going on. So I thought we would hit on just five big storylines heading into the season. Jerry Jones,

he losing his mind because Jerry had some comments this week where you just went, come on, Jerry. Does this need to be said when it came to Micah Parsons and just kind of, just kind of, you know, contract negotiations. And then Ben Johnson. It's safe to say that he is taking over the bears and he's going to do it his way, which is obviously a little bit different than Caleb Williams is used to. So we discussed Ben Johnson having high standards for that operation. Let's dive into the pot.

But before we touch on Jerry Jones and the Cowboys, you know, I've got to tell my friends, my partners and the official ticketing app on this podcast game time. Best in the business does not get any better. I love my friends at game time because I had FOMO this week I had everyone I knew in Arizona was at the Morgan Wallen concert He played back-to-back nights in Glendale

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So if you want to go to one We got baseball season In the final stretch of the season We have football right around the corner. I mean, football is right around the corner. A lot of you guys have hit me up going, hey, I've already bought my tickets for this game. Hey, me and my dad are going to go to an SEC game for the first time. Thanks for the promo. No problem. Any event you want to go to, you can search by the team, you can search by the arena, you can search by the stadium. It does

not get any easier. So here's the thing, fellas. Take the guesswork out of buying tickets with game time, download the game time app, create an account, and use the code John for $20 off your first purchase. Terms apply again, create an account, redeem the code John for $20 off. Download the GameTime app today, last minute, take its lowest price guarantee. Jerry Jones and the Cowboys, I think we have to acknowledge something that there are a lot of parallels with Jerry and the Cowboys going into, as he's been in his 80s, to the final stretch of Al Davis and the Raiders. It becomes a little chaotic because of the owner. And obviously there are financial differences.

The Cowboys, if they became up for sale, we just saw the Lakers be valued at $10 billion. I think it's fair to say that the Cowboys would go for double that. And their financial revenue ability is second to none. And their brand is worldwide. They're definitely the biggest, which is crazy because they haven't won a Super Bowl along since the mid-90s, they are a cash cow. And Jerry's a huge part of that. And let me say this.

I admire Jerry the businessman because I think people that I've always looked up to in any walk of life, especially, you know, when it comes to business or sports or just professional endeavors, typically have some Cajonis, have a little shit to them and have had points in time in their life when they've had to make a big decision. and they've put their nuts on the table. And Jerry obviously did that in the late 80s. His stories well documented. Self-made guy who bought the Cowboys when he didn't even really have the money. So I respect that. But I'm also old enough to been around the block a few times

and know a few people that work in family businesses. Clearly not as big as the Cowboys, but successful operations. And any time the quote unquote patriarch, the old man, whether it's the dad, the grandpa, makes a lot of money and doesn't need anybody anymore, yet is still involved in the operation. The older he gets, sometimes the more difficult he becomes.

He's not going to listen to anybody. And I think when you look at the current climate of sports, there's a consistent theme when it comes to these negotiations. One, the money being given out in the team sports in America, baseball, basketball, and obviously football has never been greater. Pro sports and pro athletes in my life have always made a lot of money.

The amount they are making now is, I try not to become numb to talking about it because of how big the sums are, but the more and more you see these numbers get thrown around just kind of becomes normal, even though when you are paying people hundreds of millions of dollars, it's the equivalent of some of these people

that sell their tech companies. I mean, it's crazy how much these guys are accumulating right now in professional sports. And Jerry, you know, when I grew up, anyone my age, in the 90s, pro sports was a lot more raw. You would have a lot of public fights between coaches and players, GMs and players, and owners in players.

Social media didn't exist. So when you would have contract talks or trade, talks, it was just kind of no-holds bar. There was not a filter typically on either side. And now we have kind of become a corporate version of that. There is just too much on the line, right? There was a lot of money in the line back then, but the numbers have exponentially grown. So most negotiations, in most sports, especially football, when you hear the GM, the coach and the owner talk, they typically don't say anything. They give you the kind of

go-to kind of corporate jargon of, we're going to keep this in-house. This is between us and his representation. This is, we do not make our negotiations public. I'll give the Browns credit. When Jimmy has, or when Miles Garrett went to the Super Bowl and said, I want a trade. I want fucking out of here.

It's like, damn. This dude's going on the Super Bowl car wash and telling us how he feels. I was like, if I was the Browns, I'd trade him right now for like two ones and two twos. You got an excuse to get rid of them. Your team's going to suck anyway. You might as well utilize this powerful asset.

But Jimmy Haslam said no. Because Miles Garrett and Clutch, who represents him, said, we want a meeting. And Jimmy Haslam said, not so fast, my friend. No meeting. Discuss the business with Andrew Barry. And Andrew Barry said,

we're not trading you, we want to keep you, we plan on paying you. That was kind of it. We just saw T.J. Watt get a huge contract. It wasn't a public negotiation. Most of these, Fred Warner, George Kittle, not a public negotiation. Yeah, would Jerry Jones, give a listen, because today he gave, as he does every single year, kind of the state of the franchise, which most GMs and coaches do. At the start of training camp, this week, I'm sure there'll be one with less need,

and Sean McVeigh. I'm sure there was one with Jim Harbaugh and Joe Ortiz. Just like in the next couple days, Howie Roseman and Nick Siriani, Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch. Very normal. That's normal business. You know who you don't see at any of these places?

Is the owner standing right there? Let's take a listen to Jerry today. Just because we sign him doesn't mean we're going to have him. He was hurt six games last year. Seriously. We've signed, I remember signing a player for the highest paid at the position in the league and he got knocked out two-thirds of the year,

Dak Prescott. So there's a lot of things you can think about when you, just as the player does, when you're thinking about committing and guaranteeing money. I think one thing we all learn for any of you, obviously, if you're married in a serious relationship, something you learn as you get a little older as a guy is like you don't need to say everything that comes into your head, right? And I think this works for your personal relationships, your professional relationships, your professional relationships. Hell, I've really taken this tactic on social media. I'm like,

I got a lot of thoughts. I used to share way too many of them just because like, what's the point? Just keep some stuff to yourself, right? And it's no different in negotiations with the Roonies and T.J. Watt. Like, sometimes it's going to get ugly behind the scenes. You know what? No one gets to know about that. It's not all, you know, rainbows, unicorns, and party, right? Sometimes, I'm sure there are things said that like, goddamn, this is called negotiation. They don't do it in public. Because you know why there's nothing to be gained? And in the 80s, in the 90s, when Jerry became a household name, that's how you did business. And it was suitable. It was actually very normal. It was not, you weren't going against the grain

if you told the media, which obviously got back to the player, how you felt and how things were going. That doesn't take place anymore. One, these negotiations, there's so much money in the line, who does it behoove to create a more chaotic situation? Two, with social media, everything gets magnified to the hundred degree now. It just makes it a more chaotic situation for your player. And listen, as you get older, you can handle things said to you that you couldn't before. but in pro sports, especially football, when you are giving a player as the Cowboys are going to do with Micah Parsons, because the moment you don't trade them before the draft, you are going to pay him.

And Jerry did this with C.D. Lamb, he's going to do it again with Michael Parsons. You're going to pay him the most money in the history of the NFL for a pass-rusher. That's going to happen. It's inevitable. Now, you can argue over a couple million here and there, but we know the number. So Jerry putting this out there, you're dealing with a guy, just like any team would be, the first extension you give a player, somewhere between the ages of 24 and 26. So unlike if you're doing negotiations with some 65-year-old who's been through the ringer for decades in business, he can handle a lot. He's got thick skin. Just the reason a lot of these guys

have representation, because going to Drew Rosenhouse, going to Tom Condon, going to whoever, they've seen it all, they've heard it all. They're not, Jimmy Haslam, or excuse me, Jimmy Sexton doesn't get offended at every time that you come back to a counter in negotiations. You know why? He's been negotiating these contracts for decades. He's seen it all. Michael Parsons, this is the first big contract of his life. This is more money than he probably ever could have dreamed of a decade ago.

And you got the owner coming out and making comments, which are factual. He missed games. Factual, Dak Prescott shattered his ankle. We all know that. But what good does that do? And while it's a different situation than Al Davis in the late 2000s, the parallels to me feel like the owner aging not gracefully doesn't know how to pivot as times have pivoted. Unlike the Raiders, the Cowboys don't have financial issues, but they do have an ownership issue. They do have a guy that you could see the look on Brian Schottinheimer's face if you saw the video.

Stephen, I would imagine, is not going to do this whenever Jerry is no longer around because it makes it more difficult. You don't need to create animosity in these negotiations. Here's the other thing. Jerry has said before this, we would rather pay a little more and get it right. I would agree with that statement if you're talking about free agents. Because typically you've got to pay more in free agency.

you pay a 30, 40, 50% sticker price to get the guy's services. And for the most part, you're not dealing with the elite players. That's why they hit free agency. But Jerry says that, and most of the time, he's giving out these huge contracts to guys he's drafted. So when you sign a guy, you've drafted no one knows that player better than yourself. I remember, like, in the scouting process, you get to know a guy, you get to know the coaches,

you get to know the assistants, and I saw it when I was a GA, and I watched our guys get scouted. You do all this work on, obviously the player, but the character, the love of football, their work ethic,

their toughness, their mental toughness, just how good of a guy they are, to just how they treat people, all that shit, right? And you feel really good about it, and maybe you pound the table in the draft room. But until you get the guy in the building,

you don't realize how important he is to you, as a player, right? The Chiefs will get into George Carloptis and Trent McDuffey and the guys they drafted who are everything that they want in a guy. The Ravens have been doing this forever. The Steelers are good at this to get your type players and just tough old school football guys.

But Jerry, you drafted these guys. Like, you've been around them all the time. You've seen them as a player through the good and the bad. Like, so what are you waiting for? so I just assume that the Cowboys are going to pay Micah historic amount of money in about four or five weeks because that's what they've consistently done with Dak what they did a couple years ago or last year with CD and that's what they'll do with Michael Parsons but you just kind of create this weirdness in your organization that you just gave a first time head coach

a job that let's face it uh I don't just like shitting on this guy because I feel like that's the easy thing to do but no one else is. giving him a head coaching job. Brian Chattonheimer was not going to be a head coach for anyone else. Even though a decade plus ago, he was a coaching candidate, turned some jobs down, career went the other way, and it looked like he was never going to become a head coach. But in 2025, Jerry Jones was the only guy giving him a job. And let's face it, like the players aren't idiots, he's probably one of the lowest paid

coaches in the league. So Jerry, a lot like Al Davis, is like, this guy doesn't have any juice. Why aren't I fucking listen to this guy? If I'm good enough, I'll just do whatever I want. I was Jerry's mad at me, but I was like, I'll just go to him. And if you look around the league, and this is what I said about, once training camp starts, the GM and head coach will give a press conference. And for the most part, maybe GMs will do like coward show or come on a podcast or whatever.

But they don't talk all the time, right? The coach is the voice of the organization. Because he's the boss. And when the players think that like, hey, if I screw up, Kyle Shanahan's going to bend me. If I don't run this route right, like, Sean McVeigh's going to cut me and put me back on the practice squad. For

two plus decades, you knew Bill Belichick was in charge. He didn't sign the checks. He didn't own the team, but Bill was in charge. You screw up in Kansas City? Like, you answer to Andy. And that's the healthy way to run an organization.

Yet with the Cowboys, I would say the Bengals are in the same way. Like, you know the owner's in charge. even Shemar Stewart's agent said today because Duke Tobin's like we need him here said that he shouldn't be talking he's not running point on this negotiation

it's above his pay grade which is an all-time line from an agent but he's saying it because that guy's not running point in the organization he's not in charge the owner's the GM and when you run organizations like that and let's face it we like Joe Burrell

a lot more than we like Dak Prescott it's hard to win it's why most people despite having Joe Burrow, Jamar Chase, T. Higgins, you just bet against the Bengals. It's why the Cowboys, it's like, I actually think they probably could be a little better than people think. I think most people think they're just going to suck. Wouldn't shock me if they're just competitive.

Probably not a playoff team, but I could see them in the mix to be like eight, nine wins. But I also could see them implode, right? And just quit on Brian Choddimer. And that's just kind of what happens as your organization becomes like this owner-centric guy. this is not like George Steinbrenner 1996 those days are over

most of these owners don't say shit they just look at the Excel spreadsheet and the money flowing in and they let their GM and their head coach handle everything obviously they get involved at the highest level but they never talk they only talk when kind of forced a couple owners meetings

and that might be it and maybe if they fire a coach but if things are going well like they're not going to speak yet Jerry can't help himself like he has to be the star of the franchise and it's it's kind of sad because I grew up the cowboys were a really big deal they were the biggest deal in the NFL right there

with the 49ers the rivalry and then to the late 90s what happened to him Jerry's ego got in the way and you could argue his ego's been in charge ever since and beside like the ability to get parcels and get that stadium built which is cool I've been there it's

you know it's crazy it's probably almost not far away from being like 20 years old but awesome accomplishment. What are his highlights the last 25 years? Seriously. And he really only has himself to blame. But I also like, I've been around

not at the level of Jerry's wealth, but enough successful old guys in their 70s, in their 80s. My dad was a farmer, right? I knew a lot of old school farmers. Usually doesn't age well. They talk about how we did things back in the day. It's like, well, that was 30 years ago.

You might want to be. to pivot here, buddy. And I just think Jerry's pivoted as poorly as anybody when it comes to just like times have changed, man. You know what Scottie Sheffler taught us? You drive for show, but you put for dough. And the easiest way for you to make some dough betting on this week's tournament on draft kings. From the opening round through Sunday, draft king sportsbook has you covered. Chris Goderup, who just finished third at the open and won the week before at the Scottish

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Let's do a little thing that I like to call, is their job on the line? and I just picked five guys or five situations. And I think, you know, there are a lot of big storylines in the NFL, and we will get to those as training camp goes. But I was reading an article last night that went, wow, I didn't realize that these two guys could potentially lose their job at the end of the season. So it got me thinking, why don't I make a little list of some guys that I don't think most people are talking about, like, is this guy's job on the line?

and I think you could make a case that it is. So we're going to start with number five. I'm going to start with the Atlanta Falcons. They have underachieved, unlike any franchise, since Matt Ryan left. They've drafted all these skilled guys. And last year, everyone told me they were going to cruise to the division championship. I said no chance. Now, I picked the Saints, but of course the Falcons didn't make the playoffs.

This offseason, they trade up in the mid-20s and use a first round pick next year. why do you do something like that? Because you realize there is pressure from the owner. The owner's in his mid-80s. He literally just put himself in his own team's Hall of Fame, Arthur Blank. I think it's safe to say that he feels the clock ticking. And I have a hard time seeing Rahim Morris, who everyone anointed, hell, he anointed himself. He said, the reason we have such a big coaching staff, because we're going to win and these guys are going to get hired.

so we want to have their replacement on the staff. Rahim, you seem like a nice guy. No one's hiring guys from your staff at 8 and 9. I'll promise you that. And I don't know how anyone with a brain could pick the Falcons this year to make the playoffs. Doesn't mean they can't, right? I'm a Michael Pennix fan,

but I think there is tangible pressure on this organization to not only go above 500, but to win that division and be in the playoffs. Because I think if you don't win that division, you're not in the playoffs. I think that is a one playoff bid division and as we're sitting here right now I'm giving it to the bucks

but I think that these guys that whole thing could get blown up which could be ugly they just used a high pick on Michael Pennix they've obviously drafted guys like Bejohn and Drake London a bunch of guys really high and now this last draft they got really really aggressive

I think if they were to underachieve like last year and what Michael Penn doesn't work, whatever happens. I mean, their defense hasn't been good for a while. I think you could see that building detonated. And Arthur Blank's starting all over a couple years after firing Arthur Smith. Number four, this one's interesting because like, this guy's clearly talented and an NFL

quarterback. And when you watch him and he's on, he's as dynamic as anybody. And he can have drives, he can have halves where you're like, he is killing these guys. I remember two years ago when he came back from injury, Kyler had a couple drives against the Eagles. It was like as that team was falling apart, you're like, this guy looks remarkable. And he had moments last year where you're just like,

what is going on? Now, it's not all his fault. I think, you know, Marvin Harrison, listen, if you could do a redraft, as we sit here today, I don't think anyone's taking Marvin Harrison over Malik neighbors. And I think most people in the NFL, especially people that weren't tasked with the decision to make,

A lot of people had Malik neighbors over him. That being said, like Marvin Harrison was still a big time prospect. They need a lot out of them. They have a stud tied in. They spent a bunch of money on defense. They drafted a couple really good defensive players high. I think there are some tangible pressure on this team to take a step. They have, you know, a relatively new GM, a relatively new coach, who I like.

I think they've done a good job. I look at their roster, I go, pretty good. I watch Jonathan Gannon and I go pretty solid. His team has played their balls off the last two years. and now they have some talent. But like, this is the NFL. Like, can you make the playoffs? And Kyler's year starting,

obviously they've only made the playoffs one time. And that was the year they started like 10 and 1 and they fell apart at the end and then they got worked in that playoff game against the Rams. So I just think you get to a point where, okay, he's really talented and are we going to ever win with this guy? And he's one of those unique players where it's like, you go eight and nine,

maybe you still want to stick with the coach and the gym. But what if they go? we want someone else a quarterback. We want to pick our own quarterback. He would be the type player that would still have some value. So if I was a betting man right now, and I know they're kind of like the trendy hipster pick as people taking the Arizona Cardinals to make the playoffs, I'm not going to do that. And I think they miss and I think there's a pretty good chance that Kyler Murray is playing somewhere else in 2006. Another guy, we have seen two recent examples of guys drafted in the top five to teams that view them.

as playoff teams. One team literally was the 49ers. They had Super Bowl aspirations. They take Trey Lance. By the end of year two, they're like, this guy's done. Bring in Sam Donald, you guys kind of compete for the second job. Actually, you're the third string quarterback. No, you're out of here. We traded you. He was traded before week one of his third year. Anthony Richardson is going into his third year. I think we all know how this thing's going to end. Daniel Jones is going to be starting week one. So these were two quarterbacks drafted third and Fourth overall, you know, the Colts not nearly as good as the 49ers, but like the Niners because they're crappy division, they have playoff aspirations.

This isn't just, we're drafting you high, we can suck, you can figure it out, kind of like a Bryce Young situation. Hell, he even got benched in your two. I do think JJ McCarthy's in a unique spot. I have no clue what he's going to look like. None. I do know this, that if I assume Jayden Daniels is going to stay really good, if I assume that Bo Nix is.

going to just maintain and be a solid starter with Sean Payton. I'm going to bet on those two guys. I think it's safe to say to buy some stock into Drake May with Josh McDaniels, Mike Vrable. Like, I just think that thing's going to kind of work. We have a long history of knowing, like, a lot of quarterback

drafts, 50% of them at best hit. Some of these guys are going to fail. You know, Caleb's got Ben Johnson, got a really good roster. You would think he would make some incremental improvements. Pennix, J.J. McCarthy. The pressure, this team won 14 games last year and was 30 minutes away from being the number one overall seat and

being 15 wins. Their starting quarterback through 35 plus touchdowns had a really, really good season. JJ's never played like that. JJ played on an offense and a team in college that was fucking loaded. I mean, absolutely star-studded everywhere you looked. Offensive line, defensive line, running backs, overall defense, and a head coach who philosophies, and a head coach who philosophically believed in running the ball. When all else fails, call runs and we'll slam it down people's throat, and that's what we did. That's not how Kevin O'Connell plays,

because they are equipped to chuck that ball around. They have the best wide receiver in the league, arguably, him or Jamar Chase, which is ironic because they both played it on the same college team and were unstoppable and didn't lose a game. Addison's a stud. They got players everywhere. They've added a lot in free agency. There is no just like, oh, we'll ease into this thing.

If this does not go well, I do think J.J. McCarthy could be won and done. This isn't 1996. This isn't 2007. And I guess it's no fault of his own. He got injured last year, but last year just didn't happen. So if this year goes bad and they were to miss the playoffs, are they just going to give him a long runway? Trey Lance didn't get one.

Anthony Richardson didn't get one. Trey Lance played four games. So I just think that the clock is ticking. thing is going to be intense from the jump. The other guy that no one's talking about that I just have to wonder, is this going to work? Is given the hype, there is no disputing that Trevor Lawrence has been one of the more underwhelming high draft picks in recent memory. He's not like one of those where you're just like, ah, out of the league just totally sucks.

But he's definitely not one of those where you go, God, lived up to the hype. What an awesome player. If anything, he just leads you pretty frustrated. I was told this guy was going to be the greatest thing since Andrew Luck or Paid Manning, and you watch him and you just go, I don't know, I don't see it. Now, I think it's easy to go. He plays for the Jacks. Franchise has been in Shambles, and the organization has just struggled to figure it out.

The owner from a GM to their coaching situation, it's just been a mess. I look at Liam Cohen, and I go, well, how did Liam Cohen become a high-level coaching prospect? because of two guys, really three. Obviously, Sean McVeigh put him on the map. But when it comes to players and it comes to quarterbacks, it was Matt Stafford and Baker Mayfield. And when I think of those two guys, I think ultimate football guys. Like absolute badasses, lay it all on the field, their teammates love them,

just throwbacks. I mean, you could picture Baker or Stafford playing in the 60s, playing in the 70s. Obviously both, especially Stafford, made a ton of money. but it feels like they would have played for free, right? That's the passion, the toughness they show. They're just awesome players to watch. It's easy to watch them on television. If you're out of game and go,

this guy's just a badass. That has not really been Trevor Lawrence's thing. I mean, hell, when Trevor Lawrence was coming out, his dad was like, yeah, football's not everything. He's got other loves. You know, it's like, yeah, I think Baker and Stafford really love their family, but, like, football means a lot to them, you know? and I just wonder, like,

Liam Cohen looks at football through the eyes of those two competitors. And I understand he's been paid a lot of money. But we have seen recent examples. Russell Wilson is a good one that, like, those days, if the head coach doesn't like you and doesn't want you, like if this thing does not go well,

and they obviously traded a future first round pick to get Travis Hunter, so all of a sudden, if this gets weird, which I think is very popular, given that Trevor Lawrence has proven nothing in the NFL that maybe a little bit this offseason it's like yeah we'd probably entertain giving them up because we're going to need some picks we're going to need some reinforcements and just go yeah this is not our guy this isn't our type player and like any young coach it's like I'm not saying that he he shouldn't be willing

and fired up to coach the guy but I think we've seen this song and dance before so if I was a betting man, and you tell me that this Jags season does not go as planned, which I would based on the last decade plus of history, probably not going to go well. I would say everything would be on the table for Trevor Lawrence next off season. And this is one I did not see coming. I was reading the, I actually watched this show called Missing Amy or Amy's Missing or it's this crazy-ass documentary on Netflix. But between episodes, I, I was.

like clicked on my phone and the athletic, the website came up and it was about this new president because Murphy just retired from the Packers and his name is Ed Policy. He is the son of Carmen Policy, who forever was like Eddie de Bartolo's consigliary who became like the CEO of the 49ers during the Bill Walsh, George Sefer, Joe Montana, Steve Young days. It's like, damn, this is Carmen Policy's son, is now running the Packers. And he's in charge. And what makes the Packers unique is there's no Jerry Jones. There's no Bob Kraft.

There's no Jeffrey Lurie. Ed Policy is essentially the boss. And Goudicans and LaFleur, who I think are good. And I expect them to be good this season. I'm going to pick the Packers to win the division. That being said, they have two years left on both their contracts. And they're coming off kind of just a weird season. They went one and five in the division.

You know, Jordan Love was just a little hit or miss. I think part of that was injury, but still, this is a result-based business, right? You can give me excuses until the cows come home. At the end of the day, no one really gives a fuck. And reading this article on the athletic, Ed Policy is behind these guys. He's rooting for him. But he's openly said, like, listen, like, we got to get it done. Now, I don't think they had to win the Super Bowl.

But I do think, I don't know if these two guys, because most people do not go into a lame duck season. Most people, GM or coach, do not do what Mike McCarthy just did or Joe Douglas just did. It's pretty rare, especially when you have someone above you that did not hire you. Now, I'm only bringing this, this would not cross my mind. I didn't think about these guys being on the hot seat. I don't even necessarily think they're on the quote unquote hot seat. But after reading this article, I went, there is some pressure here. I'm like, if you don't win, you're telling me this guy who's a lifetime football guy,

who's been around football since the day he was born, whose dad worked with Bill freaking Walsh, who helped build with Eddie de Bartolo, one of the great dynasties in the history of professional sports. These guys better win. These guys better have a good season. There is more tangible pressure on this group, including Jordan Love, than I realized.

I went, damn, maybe people are talking about this in Packer, but I went, I don't, could they just have like a off season and go eight and nine and just keep their jobs? I don't think so. So I think there is sneaky some pressure in Green Bay to win. You know, to win the division, to host a playoff game and just show some positive momentum with Jordan Love for Ed policy to go, okay, here's an extension, Matt LaFleur and Brian Gutikins. You are my guys for the future.

So, you know, from Goudicin to LaFlorne to Trevor Lawrence to J.J. McCarthy to Kyler Murray to the guys in Atlanta, I think all these teams, like, wouldn't shock me. I mean, I expect the Packers to make the playoffs, but hell, I mean, I expect the 49ers to compete for the Super Bowl last year. They went 6 and 11. Like, the NFL's weird. Weird shit happens. Things go sideways really, really quick. And obviously, some of these quarterback situations, given the pressure of modern day football and the microscope that's on it, you better buckle up because this thing can get weird fast. Hey, it's us, the Jonas Brothers. And guess what? We have some big news. What's the news, name? Huge news. We created our own podcast called, Hey Jonas. We invented a podcast?

Well, we didn't invent it. We just contributed to it. We're the first people to do podcasts. Pretty, yeah, pretty wide range of podcasts throughout there. But this one's extra special. So how do we actually come up with a name Hey Jonas, guys? I honestly don't remember. I think it was on a call about what we should call it. And, well, we were thinking I'm originally calling it one of the early names of our band before Jonas Brothers.

This is how you guys remember it going down? Yes. I have a very different memory of this. We were talking about a thing, a bit for the podcast, for people could call in and say, hey, Jonas. And then I wrote down on my little notepad, Hey Jonas, and offered it up as a potential title for the podcast. But thanks for remembering that, guys. Listen to Hey Jonas on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Just listen. We don't care where you hear it.

Another podcast from some SNL late night comedy guy, not quite. Unhumor me with Robert Smygel and friends. Me and hilarious guests from Bob Odenkirk to David Letterman help make you funnier. This week, my guest, SNL's Mikey Day and head writer Streeter Seidel, help an a cappella band with their between songs banter. Where does your group perform? We do some retirement homes. Those people are starving for banter. Listen to humor me with Robert Smigel and friends on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal, but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way,

the podcast's Superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle great. Listen to Superhuman on the I Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Last night, a blown call changed a game. This morning, the internet lost its mind. Highlights are trending, opinions are flying, and nobody's telling you exactly what happened.

That's where Sports Slice comes in. I'm Timbo. Every episode, we're cutting through the noise, breaking down the plays, the controversies, and the stories behind the headlines. We go straight to the source, the athlete themselves, their locker room stories, their reactions, the stuff nobody gets to hear. The laughs, the drama, the triumphs, the moments that never make the highlight real. From viral moments to historic games, from buzzer-beaters to controversial calls, we break it down,

give you context, and ask the questions everybody wants answered. Sports Slice brings you closer to the action with stories told by the people who live them. Listen to Sports Slice on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more, follow Timbo Slic Life 12 in the TikTok podcast network on TikTok. I wanted to start with Ben Johnson because I think sometimes, you know, you hear a lot the different generations, Gen X, Gen Z, Millennials and how we're all wired different. And obviously we've all had different experiences as children depending on the years we were growing up. But I think there is a consistent theme with any young person who is a high achiever. And to make it into the NFL, especially as a guy like Caleb Williams, you have to be wired to. certain way. There is a certain amount of God-given talent that people possess, right? It's a reason that they're better than you at high school. It's a reason they get into a college. But once you get at the highest level, you have to take it to another level, not just physically, but mentally,

in terms of work ethic, in terms of training, it takes a lot to last. And to be a good player, you can't fake your way into that. It's why coaching in football has really separated than the other sports. Like in basketball, you're not even allowed to yell to players anymore. They tell you what to do. And when they want you fired, you're gone. In football, you could go into every position group in the NFL and in college. And the position coach in that room is typically wearing guys out. And a lot of times, the star player. It's just the nature of the business. And watching Hard Knocks last year, I was like, something was missing with Iber Fluse. He's just like, this is a Sabin guy? This

guy was team captain for Sabin's team. What? And it was just like for a defensive guy, he just felt kind of soft. Honestly, he just felt completely over his head. And listen, anytime you become a head coach from being a coordinator, there is no guarantee you're going to know what you're doing.

And clearly, Iber Fluse is never going to be a head coach again. But Ben Johnson, people have been begging for him to take their job for a long time. I mean, Washington was flying to Detroit a couple years ago. I think praying he'd take the job. clearly worked out for them landing Dan Quinn, but listen, we're not all our wives' first choice.

And when I saw Ben Johnson is not only like kicking the first team offense off the field and yelling at guys and on guys and the intensities bringing to the practice field, but how Hardy's riding Caleb, I went, you know, this might have a chance. Because let's face it, the number one through five reasons the guy was hired was to fix Caleb Williams and coach the offense, which can't run without him. And I saw that he gave Caleb Williams going into the off season a list of things

that he had to work on over the summer. From studying the playbook to 30 to 40 minutes a day to working on his footwork, which clearly needs to get better, having goals of trying to complete 70% of his passes. But even something as simple as like, when you are training in the summer, make sure you are working on the throws to your left

because you were terrible at those during OTAs. And I will say this, whether you're Peyton Manning or Tom Brady, to Caleb Williams, to any position player who's any good in the league, they want to be coached heart. They want to be pushed. Because that's the only way to get better. The only way to improve is when someone is willing to tell you you need to do this, that, or the other thing.

Because what you're currently doing is not working. And in the world of football, sometimes that's very aggressive. and there are several swear words attached with the message. Guys are used to it. And I think one thing Caleb, it's fair to say, has lacked over the last several years, even going back to college, is no one was telling him anything.

Like Lincoln Riley isn't exactly, I would say, viewed as a guy hard on his players. Right? No one's getting him confused with Nick Sabin or Kirby Smart or Brian Kelly. That's not really his M.O. and then obviously Iber Fluse was a dead man walking the moment Caleb Williams showed up. Ben Johnson, he's got some gravitas. He's got some juice because he now, more than Caleb, is viewed as the most important guy in the organization.

But if he's going to have success, he needs this player to be good. And he needs to write him. I saw a headline today. Dan Campbell kicked everyone out of practice, started practice over like he's furious. Right? So where did Ben Johnson learn this? from. And we're all products, you know, definitely in football, whether it's audio or radio or podcasting of people we've worked with, people we've worked for, people we've been around and taking

things that we like that they do into our own world. And clearly Ben Johnson, I think, is instituting some of the stuff that Dan Campbell is really good at, writing these guys and writing them hard. Now, you can't just scream at a guy to scream at him 24-7. You've got to love them up a little bit, but you got to coach them hard. Football will never change. I don't care what happens in society. The best coaches are always the guys that demand the most and are the most intense. You'd be like, well, Andy Reid gets along with everyone. Ask any player, any coach, anyone in that front office about their operation through training camp through the season. One, they have the most physical training camp and two, in season, there's not, I'm just taking this practice off to go in

the training room. That doesn't fly. And I think if Ben Johnson wants to have success, he knows he's got to be the hardest on Caleb Williams to get the respect of all the other players on the team. The volume. Hey guys, it's us. The Jonas Brothers. I'm Joe. I'm Kevin. And I'm Nick.

And guess what? We created our own podcast called, Hey, Jonas. Nice. We invented a podcast? Well, we didn't invent it. We just contributed to it. We get to ask other people to do podcasts. We get to ask other people questions because we're sick and tired of being asked questions.

Well, sick and tired is a strong way to put it. But, you know, tired and sick, tired and sick. Listen to Hey Jonas on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Just listen. We don't care where you hear it. Another podcast from some SNL, late-night comedy guy, not quite. Unhumor me with Robert Smygel and friends.

Me and hilarious guests from Bob Odenkirk to David Letterman help make you funnier. This week, my guest, SNL's Mikey Day and head writer Streeter Seidel help an a cappella band with their between songs banter. Where does your group perform? We do some retirement homes. Those people are starving for banter. Listen to humor me with Robert Smigel and Friends

on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Last night, a blown call changed a game. This morning, the internet lost its mind. And nobody's telling you exactly what happened. That's where Sports Slice comes in. I'm Timbo. And every episode, we're cutting through the noise,

breaking down the biggest moments in sports and giving you the real story behind the headline. And we're going straight to the source, the athletes themselves, their locker room stories, their reactions in the moment, and the stuff nobody gets to hear. Listen to SportsSlice on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more, follow Timbo Slicelife Life 12 in the TikTok podcast network on TikTok. Winning on Clay is an art. The rallies are relentless. And at the French Open, only the toughest survive. I'd know. I competed there for decades. Join me, Renee Stubbs, on the Renee Stubbs

tennis podcast for no nonsense breakdowns of the biggest matches, the toughest players, and the moments that define Roland Garris. She's an outsider to win the French name. And she likes Clay. Listen, Lennar Rabakina is arguably the best player in the world right now and I actually can win on any surface. Listen to the Renee Stubbs tennis podcast on the IHeart Radio app. Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. Presented by Capital One, founding partner of IHeart Women's Sports. This is an IHeart podcast.

Guaranteed Human. Thank you.