The Herd with Colin Cowherd - 3 & Out - Massive Mailbag, Can KC win out, is Drake Maye the next Josh Allen

Episode Date: November 1, 2025

John answers all of your questions starting with Kansas City and if they have the potential to win out, to Drake Maye and if he's going to be the next Josh Allen, to if the Bears should bench Caleb Williams and much more in this episode's massive mailbag segment.  Follow John on Twitter, Instagram and YouTube for the latest.  All lines provided by Hard Rock Bet 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.

This is an IHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human. 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.

We invented a podcast? Well, we didn't invent it. We just contributed to it. We're the first 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. 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 Smigel 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 Acapella 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 ice. Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. This season on Dear Chelsea, with me, Chelsea Handler, we have some fantastic guests like

Amelia Clark. When, like, young people come up to me and they want to be an actor or whatever. And my first thing is always, can you think of anything else that you can do? You'd rather be disappointed in. Do that. David O'Yello-O. I love this podcast, whether it's therapy or relationships or religion or sex or addiction or you just go straight for the guts.

Dennis Leary, Gaten Moderato from Stranger Things, Tana Monsu, Camilla Morone, Carrie Kenny Silver, and more. Listen to these episodes of Dear Chelsea on the Iheart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. I'm Joey Dardano, and on my new podcast, hope from a hypocrite, I'll be changing lives,

helping people in need with thoughtful solutions. Sike, I'm a comedian. I'm not qualified to give good advice. Join me and my comedian friends as we riff, rant, recommend some of the most legally dubious advice known to me. This is Help from a Hypocrite, the worst advice from the dumbest people you know. Listen to Help from a Hypocrite Wednesdays on the Iheart radio app,

Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. The volume. What is going on, everybody? How are we doing? I said, you know what? I got a migraine. that I don't get very often, but I was basically bedridden all afternoon on Wednesday, and I was unable to do the podcast.

So I was like, you know what? We had a little less content this week. Let's put out a weekend mailbag. At John Middlecoff is the Instagram. At John Middlecoff is the Instagram. Fire in those DMs. We're going to do a little weekend mailbag. So I rattled off about, probably about 30 minutes worth of stuff,

and that will be the game plan today, very simple. You guys know the drill, subscribe to the podcast. Everything's up on YouTube as well. But first, the official ticketing app of this podcast, Game Time, if you want to go to a football game, college or pro, we have you covered. It doesn't get any easier. They got flash deals. You can go to games for as cheap as $100.

Here's the best part of game time. So many of these ticketing apps, you press on a price, and then they hit you with the fees. The fees are already baked in. So the price you see is the price you're going to pay. So take the guesswork out of buying professional football tickets. with GameTime. Download the GameTime app, create an account, and use a code. John, that's John, $20 off your first purchase terms applied again.

Create an account and redeem the code, J-O-H-N for $20 off. Swipe, tap, ticket, go. Download the GameTime app today. Doesn't get any easier than that. Kind of like listen to this podcast. Okay, let's just dive right in. I'm going to try to go rapid fire, so this is not going to be too long.

If the Chiefs beat the bill Sunday, is it on the board they win out the rest of the season? I know the Colts are good, and the Broncos are ahead of us in the standings. But I feel like Bo Nix is going to let them down once December and January come around. Also, love the podcast, watch it every day. I appreciate you. I would say winning out, like, it's the NFL. Are they going to win out and go 14 and 3?

That seems a little unrealistic. Because in the NFL, like, I would say they lose one of those Broncos games. which would probably be the one in Arrowhead, which is very understandable. You can go 12 and 5 and lose a couple of division games. You know, division games are really hard. I guess the Chiefs have already lost the Chargers. They're not going to lose the Raiders. But I can see them split in the division.

So I can see them losing one of the Broncos games. Yeah. To me, the Chiefs feel like 12 and 5. Now they got it rolling. And they have a higher ceiling than I think they've had in years. because the offense is much better, even though they've been going to the playoffs. Big Ravens fan here.

Love the show. Keep it up. I just need to understand something. How is the media saying Drake May is the new Josh Allen and the Patriots are back when they clearly see their schedule has been a joke? I know they beat the bills, but that was one game. Do you actually think that he could be better than Alan? No, I mean, Josh is one of the more dominant players.

we've seen in the NFL in a long time. But, you know, sometimes I think we're very hesitant. Use Brock Purdy as an example. He became a really good player, but he was a seventh round pick, so you had to, like, fight to get your respect. Jordan Love, same thing, right? Kirk Cousins and Dak Prescott forever. Russell took him years for people to be like,

oh, yeah, he's really good. It's the opposite when you're drafted really high. It's like one good pass from K. LeB Williams. Oh, he's the next great thing. It's like, let's just see if he can play the position. When you're drafted high and you start making plays, we an anoint you pretty quickly. Now, he's having an excellent year. Now, I get there playing bad

teams. He doesn't exactly have, you know, Grankowski and Edelman running around. I would say his weapons aren't great. But there was a lot of hype on this kid. I mean, once upon a time, Nick Saban offered him $5 million to be their quarterback. Think about that. And it wouldn't have been wrong. I remember it was a big deal when he's like,

Yeah, I chose to say it, North Carolina. And he's got a chance to be really, really good. Unless you're Ryan Poles, you thought he sucks. Again, I'm not making that up. He said that in the draft meeting. Do teams have in-house financial advisors to help rookies make responsible financial decisions? It seems common for young athletes to blow through millions of dollars without considering that what they won't earn the salary for the rest of their lives.

I think teams, it probably varies a little team to team. I mean, most teams have some sort of developmental guy, typically former player, like high-level guy. I would say, like, this is going to sound a little cold-hearted, but that's not necessarily the NFL's problem, right? I mean, they can hold your hand, but eventually, like, you got to make the decisions. I would put the onus more on the agent, right? I'm paying you. So you figure it out. Now, ultimately, I will help you out, you know, provide things like real estate agents,

help you get a lay of the land, obviously help you around land other business deals when you're a good player with our partners. But am I worried about what you do with that money as long as it's legal? No, not really. So if you want to buy five Lamborghinis or invest it all into one of middle cough stocks that's ripping, that's kind of your decision. That to me should be the number one push for an agent is, hey, I got multiple financial advisors who are here to support you. I'm CAA. I am David Mugeta.

I'm whoever. I have this infrastructure here to take care of you. The team's just the one paying you, and they're the ones that we're going to get the money from. So I'm not saying the teams don't care, but like it's not really their, it's the least of their worries. if you are financially stable when you're 40 years old. The agent who you're literally paying should be all over that to help you out. That would be my thought. I also think the reality, I've never been super rich when I was, you know,

multi-millionaire at 23 years old, but you're just, we're men. We're going to make dumb decisions. We're going to buy dumb shit. I probably buy dumb things. You buy dumb things that if we were the other person, we'd be like, wait, you're spending money on that. It's part of life. A big listener. Mailback question.

What do you think the Vikings will do with Kevin O'Connell? Obviously, he recently signed an extension, but numerous reports saying he's losing the locker room over how he handled the Wince's injury and how they've been babying J.J. McCarthy. Vikings haven't won a playoff game since 2019, which was before O'Connell was hired, I believe. Not saying it's all on him, but this is a results-based business.

I haven't been deep on the Vikings' Reddit boards or their local podcasts or radio shows to hear that I have not seen anything. I'll take your word at it. There have been, and listen, this is part of football when things get ugly, losing the locker room. I mean, I think a lot of people are wondering and rightfully so, like,

the J.J. McCarthy thing seems a little sketchy. It's like he roll his ankle, do you hurt his hamstring? What the fuck's his injury? He's healthy enough, you can put them in pads on game day if there's an emergency, but you can't start them. The whole situation has been red flagged. And when you start babying a player on a good team, I know they're technically not good right now, but a team that guys have won and knows what winning a lot of games look like,

it can start resentment. And I think he's got to be very careful about it. The best coaches will pivot off. Okay, you like this guy two years ago in the draft? Well, three years later and he can't play. And if that's the case and he can't play, then you got to pivot. And if you do pivot, players will respect you. I saw Kyle Shanahan pivot so fast your head would spend.

He wanted to like him. Turns out he wasn't good, and they pivoted. Now, part of pivoting is you've got to have another option. So it's like he had purvity to turn to. But you cannot let a misdraft pick on a quarterback sink the ship. Because if you do, everyone will be fired. Now, Kevin O'Connell now is really rich, signing the extension. He's probably making, my guess would be 12, 13.

$14 million a year. So it's at the end of the day, whether he's fired or not, like it's not like it's going to change the course of his, just life with his family, like they're set for life. I think that's what you call generational wealth. It's funny, you know, in the internet sometimes generational wealth. It's like you've got to earn $700 million. Like, no, I mean, I think you guys are a little inflated on some of your numbers.

So I think Kevin O'Connell is going to be under a lot of pressure if this year keeps going south. what are we doing next year? And are we going to have loyalty to this guy if he does not play well? Because if you do, then this thing's going to get really ugly, really fast. If he will be like the guy that drafted him once upon a time. Listen, you can talk a lot of shit about Belichick. Not the greatest drafter, especially down the stretch these last four or five years.

But he would make cold-blooded decisions. And this is a cold-blooded league. You get too emotional about players? I mean, Andy Retreated Tyreek Hill in the peak of his powers. See ya, adios. We'll go a different direction. You've got to be willing to do that shit And if you're not, you will lose

your locker room and games. So I just, something to keep an eye on. This year, he'll get a little bit of a pass, rightfully so. The quarterback situation, which might have been his doing, but regardless, it happens. How are they going to pivot next year? I wanted to hear your preference on your favorite commentators.

Would love to hear your thoughts for football and other sports. Personally, I'm a big Collinsworth guy. I look for a couple things. One, I like Chris because he enjoys football. And you could feel his excitement. Some people might say he's a little cheesy, a little over the top. But like, I admire that. My go-to type commentator would be like Aikman when he's kind of on edge talking some shit.

Like that's kind of what I like. Maybe I lean a little more negative. Like I have nothing against Tony Romo. And every once in a while when I have, you know, now with these four boxes, sometimes you're not always listening to the top game, but when you listen to Romo and Nance, like, Nance is a big part of my life.

I watch a lot of PGA Tour golf. So I've spent a lot of hours over the last 20 years watching Jim Nans. So I like hanging out with Jim Nance. I do think the Romo thing is just can be a little over the top at times, but I also watch it like, Nancy, it's an easy hang. Whether it's cheesy or not,

and I would say, you know, Collinsworth is better than Romo. but I think those are easy. I think a lot of like the second and third tier broadcast can be really horrendous. I mean, I'm not going to name names, but if you just start getting anyone that has a team that's not very good, when you're watching the lower rung like fifth games from CBS or Fox, you're like, oh my God, this is pretty bad. So I would say, I would say Aikman's my favorite.

I was watching the World Series. It might have been the gummy I was on. but I was thinking, John Smolz is good. I saw Daniel Jeremiah tweet this out, maybe like a couple weeks ago, just saying how impressed he was.

Like, John Smoltz's knowledge of baseball, I was like, God, this guy, if he was a football announcer, he'd be heralded as the top guy for sure. I mean, the guy knows baseball, like the intricacies of the different moments and what you should do, what you shouldn't do. It's like for a guy that plays golf seven days a week,

This guy's dialed. I think he's excellent. Trying to think basketball. I always liked Van Gundy, not Stan, Jeff, who's fired, who got fired from TV. It is now, I think, the Clippers assistant coach. But I was a big Jeff Van Gundy guy. Yeah, I would say that's, my list is relatively short of people. I would quote unquote good.

I'm also, like most of you probably. I've watched so many games that I get numb to a lot of the commenters. I don't even really pay attention. If anything, I'm just listening for nuggets that I can use in the podcast, like stats they might spit out. I actually like the college game. Yeah, I think Herbstree is really good. Jay Billis has been good for a long time.

I think Clatt's good. I like, yeah, I like actually a lot of the college quarterbacks. McElroy, definitely like Jesse Palmer. I'll always enjoy. I feel like I've watched a lot of Jesse Palmer games. I feel like college has better ones than the NFL. Yeah, I feel actually pretty confident. I feel like college has better broadcast than the NFL.

Not in terms of like maybe the graphics or whatever. I'm just mean actual people in the chair. They just feel a little. And maybe there's a little less pressure so they can just be normal. I just, I don't know. I might have to do a research project on that. How can you take sports games? gambling seriously after the new NBA scandal came out.

The NFL has so many miscalls and so many questionable penalties on a weekly basis, plus what happens one week means nothing the next week. It's called gambling. The difference between basketball and football, and we've talked a lot about this, is there's always been a human element with the referees. The broadcasts are so good with the cameras now that we see a lot of these things. Like historically, when a ball hit two people diving forward, it was clear who the ball went out of, went out on, right?

In basketball, for example. Forever in the NBA, in college, in high school, pick up basketball. Now with the slow-mo replays, like I went off the tip of the finger, we just know more information. It's impossible to rig NFL games. Now, like you said, an official can miss a call. It's hard to be an official. Now, I've always said, like, if you miss serious calls, you should be fired.

They never are. And maybe you can say, well, John, they're in on it. I would say, yeah, part of not knowing what's going to happen is, week to week is what makes the game so interesting to gamble on. We're in basketball, like, you know the bad teams, like, they're going to get routed. Week in, week out. And Chauncey Billups was literally throwing games. I heard someone say this the other day, like, isn't it crazy that we thought it was a bigger

deal for Chauncey Billups to screw over people in a poker game than it was for him to tell someone, I'm going to manipulate the outcome of this NBA game. That was the bigger headline. It tells you everything you need to know. I just think the NBA is easier to rig. I think it's harder to rig in the NFL. I also think it would have come out. I think it's just too big, too much money.

People would have talked. Maybe I'm naive. Lifelong Browns fan. And we have two first round picks. We are expected to pair them and take a quarterback. But with our O-line, literally having nobody coming back, and no wide receivers, Judy is a two at best. You almost can't evaluate a quarterback.

Dylan is short and looks blah. If Sanders plays for us, he has no chance. Stefansky has a bad track record. Watson looked terrible, but how much do you blame him or the organization? He didn't want to play for us, but he took the bag like Miles. My thoughts is that Watson, when he comes back, might be our best quarterback, and we need to draft an OT, a wide receiver, and an OT. If we bring a rookie quarterback into this mess, he will just look awful.

Do you think this puts, do you think put best hope, the team's best hope is to build a team around Watson and start him next year? You can never start Deshaun Watson again. That ship hasn't just sailed. You could never rule him out. His career with the Cleveland Browns is 100% done. You can never do that to the fans. I do think I'm with you You know

And I've been saying this for a while in Stefanski It's like Everyone tells me how great of a coach he is But I watch him deal with these These backup random quarterbacks And the offense looks worse and worse by the week Now you can say well Offensive lines terrible

I've seen a lot of teams With bad teams Figure out ways to manipulate points I do think the organization is effed up I mean the owner's nuts they were giving the out with Miles Garrett. He said, trade me. He's 30 years old.

You could trade him for like two ones and two twos and reset your franchise, and they refused to do it. And I just have a hard time believing the GM wouldn't have traded him. But I don't know. I do confidently believe that Watson will never play for you again. And you can't. You can't play him anymore. I'm a lifelong Buckeye fan, born and raised in Columbus,

and have been intending games with my dad since I was four. as you stated, you are a lifelong Ohio State hater. Well, I certainly can understand and have run into many with similar feelings. I am curious, what do people truly hate about Ohio State? I'm in the cult through and through, so I can't quite see the forest through the trees. Well, I think typically people don't hate

Minnesota football, Jaguar football, the Atlanta Hawks, right, the Chicago White Sox. who do people typically hate? The Yankees, the Dodgers, the Chiefs right now, the Patriots Forever, Duke basketball.

Part of what makes sports fun is, like, I don't have any tangible reason to hate Ohio State. I kind of do, I guess, with the Lakers as a kid, but, you know, it's like the Sacramento Kings, who I was a fan of at the time, have been the worst run franchise probably in all of American sports for 20 years. The Lakers impact them zero.

but I have this irrational hate toward the franchise. When I see it, I just cringe. I don't really have a reason. I really don't, especially now that they're bought by this new owner and Luke is on the team. I would say the same thing for Ohio State football. Like, listen, I want to act like Ryan Day some scrub,

but his resume speaks for itself. He's doing a good job. Matt Patricia hire looks good. I mean, that's undisputable. Like, it's kind of worked out. Brian Hartline, elevated offensive coordinator, working out pretty well. They are the cream of the crop in college sports.

And listen, I didn't grow up going to USC football games in their prime. I went to Cal football. Program sucked in the 90s. Wasn't any good. Didn't get good until Jeff Tedford showed up there. So my point is, like, I've always, I like some favorites. Like, I've always been a fan of Duke basketball. But I also liked the Red Sox with Ortiz and Manny before they could beat the Yankees

because I was kind of rooted for them because they were the underdog. So I kind of pick and choose. I don't know. I just don't like Ohio State football. I feel like I like a lot of the guys that played there. Like reading all about man gold last year, it's like this is my type guy. Dustin Fox, I used to go on his radio show all the time, former player in the mid-2000s with those guys.

AJ Hawk, they seem like I got a cool crew. I never watch Cam Hayward. I never watched an Ohio State guy, especially ones that go on to do other things and not go, yeah, that guy's really impressive. I just don't root for the team. I'm just rooting for you guys to lose. I need someone to root against.

And the power of sports, and this goes back to Howard Stern when they asked him like, well, how long do his fans listen? And then he said, like an hour. He said, well, how long do the people that hate him listen? He said, that's where he gained such a big market share. They listen for double the amount of time.

And that's the strong part about the Yankees, about Ohio State football, about Duke basketball. is the haters pay attention. And that's the most powerful part of the Ohio State brand besides being the elite brand. Is the haters just have as strong of an emotional connection? I have no reason to hate them. I just kind of do.

I don't know why. I don't really like Notre Dame football either, though Marcus Freeman's kind of grown on me. I don't know. Some people you just don't like. I think we need to get back to that part of society. You don't need to like everybody. Or you don't need to pretend to like everybody.

Because clearly humans don't like everybody. We need to get back to that world. where he's like, yeah, I just don't like this guy. Why? I don't know. I just fucking can't stand them. Today's show is brought to you by our new presenting sponsor Hard Rock Bet. Hard Rock Bet is the only sportsbook for whenever you're in Florida. It's also live in Arizona, Ohio, New Jersey, Indiana, Tennessee, Virginia, Illinois, and Colorado, coming soon to more states near you. We're down to the final stretch of college football. Every game, every rivalry, every upset matters more. So right now, get in on the chaos. Bet, just five. Just five,

$5 bucks, and if it hits, you can take home $150 in bonus bets on top of your winnings. How do you beat that? Plus, today and tomorrow on Hard Rock bet. You can bet on college football profit boost for the games. Boost your college football parlay so your bet pays extra winnings. Payable in bonus bets, not a cash offer offered by the Siminal Tribe in Florida. Offered by Seminole Hard Rock, Digital LLC, and all other states. Must be 21 plus physically present in Arizona, Colorado.

Florida, Illinois, Indiana, New Jersey, Ohio, Tennessee, or Virginia to play. Terms and conditions apply. Concerned about gambling, in Florida, call 188 ADMT, IT. In Indiana, if you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants to help call 1-800-9 with it. Gambling problem, call 1-800 gambler. Arizona, Colorado, Illinois, New Jersey, Ohio, Tennessee, Virginia. Hey, it's us to 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. 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, 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, S&L'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. Keith Giamanka seemed like a mild mass. murdered suburban dad, but secretly he became someone else, a master of disguise who went on a crime spree. At the time, did it seem like a crazy idea? It seemed very crazy, but I felt so desperate that I felt it was the quickest, easiest way out. Did you allow yourself to think about how it could go wrong and what that might look like? No, I didn't want to manifest that. I was

trying to manifest success. Every family has its secrets. But what happens when you discover that your dad has been living a double life? That is not the look of an innocent man. This is going to change my life and my family dynamic forever because everything that had existed prior in my reality is now untrue.

Listen to Deep Cover the Family Man. On the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you're. you get your podcasts. Here's something that should not be as complicated as it is, getting a racist statue removed. And here's something that should be a whole lot easier than it is, getting a new one put up in its place. As long as there's a politics of race in America, there's going to be a politics of remembering

the Civil War. To get to school, I had to go down Robert Lee Boulevard. Get to the grocery store, I had to go down Jefferson Davis Parkway. If you're an historian and you leave out half of what the history is, you're not doing your job. I'm Akila Hughes, and Rebel Spirit Season 2 goes deep on both of those things. The fights, the politics, the people who won, and my personal campaign to add something to the Kentucky State House that's actually worth the wall space. We are more than our bodies. We contain essence. We contain spirit. How do you represent that?

They are just fueling a fire that is really catching. You'll see what I mean. Listen to Rebel Spirit Season 2 on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever. you get your podcasts. Question about Caleb Williams. I'm not really a Bears fan, but I've become a huge NFL fan. Do you think Ben Johnson would really consider benching him this year for Badgett? If he keeps playing like this, do you think the front office would do you think so?

I think the only way you ever bench him in 2025, if you know he's done with the Bears. Because there's no benching Caleb Williams in 2025 in November, December, and never coming back from it. The only way I guess you get away with it is like the last game of the season and you have six wins. It's like, let's get Tyson Badge at a game. Maybe a showcase game. I totally get that. But if you're benching them with several games left, I mean, there's just no returning from that. I love it when people say too, it's like, these are the times.

No one has any patience. Well, yeah, there's a lot more money on the line now. This isn't 1996, where it's like, oh, yeah, salary caps, 40 million. Salary caps are going to be $400 million in a couple years. These media deals are huge. The amount of money between winning and losing for an individual franchise is immense. I can't believe they didn't have any patience for Brian Kelly, because they can't afford to keep losing.

So if they didn't pay him $50 million to clean out his office, they were going to lose another $100 million. So they had a choice. Either draw a line in the sand or keep dealing with the people who are always on the fence of like, just let it play out. It's like, well, we can't let this. play out because we're going to go seven and five and fucking no one's going to show up and we're going to have problems. And if you want the softball girls to have fucking cleats on their shoes,

we got to win in football, you know? So I just think that that's one, that's becoming a pet peeve of mine. It's like everyone's just impatient. Yeah, society's a little less patient. Welcome to 2025 in America. Time ain't on our side. Even though it's going the same pace, it's always gone. It's just, we live in different times. So yeah, there's way less patience for most things. kind of the way the world works, which I don't mind. I'm pretty impatient individual. Are the bills the most overrated team in the NFL? Their five wins were against teams with a combined record of 10 and 29. Now the 4 and 4 Panthers are the best team they've beat. Truth, against the teams, the defense looked like a JV squad out there, and outside of James

Cook, Josh is surrounded by plumbers. I don't doubt he can single-handedly carry a team to wins, but for people to say that they are contenders is crazy to me. I think this week against the Chiefs and week 11 against the Bucks is the barometer. Yeah, I agree. I'm a little nervous. I was rooting for them to finally get to a Super Bowl and win a Super Bowl. But this is a massive game. And at the end of the day, they're going to get judged up the playoffs. You know, I say it's a massive game, but it's like, it's a massive game actually, assuming that the Patriots keep winning, you got to hold serve. At the end of the day, they beat the Chiefs in the regular season. It hasn't amounted to shit when it mattered in January. I want to ask you a question for your podcast. Well, you've picked the right spot, Eric.

Will we start seeing the ERA of the number one wide receivers go away in the NFL? We see how well Green Bay does with no true number one, spreading the ball to four to six guys. We saw how A.J. Brown wasn't on the field for Philly. The need to always force-feed the ball allowed the team to be more open. The same could be said about the Cowboys with Des and C.D. Lam. Lam. I think it's difficult because the whole point. of a draft, and typically most of these guys get drafted by the team.

Jamar Chase, Justin Jefferson, C.D. Lamb is to nail picks. And when you draft a guy like that, you've nailed the pick. I do think that their representation, like, why do they make so much more than tight ends and running backs? We've seen Sequin and Christian McCaffrey, two of the last three years, be the best player in the league in the league this year on offense. Who's the best player in the league this year on offense? Jonathan Taylor. doesn't mean that Justin Jefferson and Jamar Chase aren't awesome players, but we see Justin

Jefferson with no quarterback, like, what can he deal? Why does that guy make $35 million, but Jonathan Taylor only makes 18? Or whatever the top tight end is in his prime gets $19 million or $20 million. How does that work? So it's like, I just think the money's out of whack. If they were making the same amount as the other guys, that's the one thing I will give the NBA is like, you're not judged on position in the NBA. Point guard, shooting guard, wing, power forward, guy, bank, center. Like, you're either max player or you're not. And I think we need to kind of get back to that.

Now, you could argue they give out too many max salaries, and there's some truth to that. A lot of NFL teams seem to have a glaring weakness, but we rarely see player movement and trades to address those weaknesses. The chiefs clearly need a running back, only real weakness, and have draft capital. See, I'd push back there. I just kind of like their running back unit.

I think the rookie's been good, and I think Pacheco and Hunt have been pretty good this season. Like, I would say their need would be more... I bet they would trade for, like, a defensive guy. I'm looking at their running... You got Mhom's giving them four touchdowns on the ground. Kareem Hunt is giving them four touchdowns on the ground. Pachaco's averaging...

over four yards of carry, give them a touchdown. Yeah, I don't think that's really been a huge issue. The Steelers have draft capital and could use either wide receiver or some defensive help. I could go on and on. But it seems like they're reluctant. Oh, this wasn't even about the Chiefs, really. I figure the salary cap may play a part, but in your experience as a scout, are there other factors that play into this?

I would say that teams, you know, GM's value like second and third round picks. So let's say I got a good player. Let's use a crazy example. Let's say the Falcons just lose this weekend, and they're like three and five, and they're in Chambles. And let's say the Chiefs called and said, hey, what would it take for us to get Bejan Robinson? And they went a one and two-twos?

It's like, imagine if you just put Bejohn Robinson on the Chiefs. For the next, obviously, for the next couple of years. You'd be like, that'd be, Jesus, to go with that. group. Now, I'm not saying they're going to do it. And maybe the Rams. I mean, you pick the team. Like, hey, we'll give you a first round pick back. So I think part of it is that teams just get reluctant to pull the trigger with the picks. I think it's less about the cap because you can manipulate that and teams can pick up money.

But I think a lot of it comes down to like, like, listen, I remember when the 49ers trade for Christian McCaffrey, I thought it was. crazy. I'm like, you're going to give up your second, your third, and your fourth round pick for Christian McAfrey. And obviously he's been one of the best players in the league when he's on the field for them since they made that trade. It has been, he's an incredible player.

Right? But I bet most GMs that might have been interested in Christian McCaffrey would be like, under no circumstances am I paying that much money. You know, and that much money, meaning the draft picks. Because that is money. Those picks equal, between my second and third round pick, I should get at

minimum one of those guys should be an immediate starter for me, who's making no money. So it's a huge advantage. I just think a lot of teams talk themselves out of picks. And someone DM me the other day about A.J. Brown, if he got traded, the dead cap acceleration. Obviously, it's more complicated to trade any player like A.J. Brown, Max Crosby, Miles Garrett. These guys just got huge new contracts, and it fucks with your cap. But I think a lot of guys don't get traded just because teams aren't.

aren't willing to pay for it in the season. I think it's easier in the offseason to make huge moves. Huge fan of the pod. What's your read on quote, old Howie versus quote, new Howie? For years, Eagle fans couldn't stand him. The bad drafts, the power struggles, the overthinking, but now he's basically the most trusted GM in football. What do you think actually changed?

Did he evolve as a talent evaluator? Get better people around him? Or just learn from past mistakes? and do you think this version of Howie is here to stay? Or could we eventually see flashes of the old version creep back in? Also, what do you think of the Eagles dream team error failed? I think that time, you know, Coach Reed had been there a long time. We're really trying to get over the hump.

And you just kind of start mixing desperation with a lot of cooks in the kitchen. Joe Banner was heavily involved. You know, when I was there, Joe Banner, I guess he got kicked out the last year. But like he played a big role. so I wouldn't say Howie had the juice by any means that he had now. And then I wasn't there for Chip, but obviously, you know, Chip would be like, yeah, we're not drafting Devante Adams. Like, what do you mean?

They're like, ah, he's not good enough. We'll take the Matthews kid out of Vanderbilt. So it's like the coach had more juice even when he wasn't the quote-unquote GM. Because you're not going to draft players that your coach wants no part of. So yeah, Devonte Adams is slow. It's like, no, actually he's one of the best players in this draft. and this is the thing that doesn't come out until usually after situations are blown up

it's like yeah the scouting staff didn't agree with anything he was doing it's like some of these stories that come out about the Patriots draft about the Patriots wanted to do what Bill just did it Bill just wanted to draft this guy in the first round it's like the dude the Patriots just traded to the 49ers the pass rusher who was a second round pick a couple years ago I saw Albert Brewer this clip on local Boston radio was like yeah Bill wanted to take him in the first round

it's like sometimes he's coached coaches don't listen to anybody. So once how he came back in charge in whatever, 2017, like from Doug to, from Doug to Siriani, like he just got more juice than any GM in the league has. So it's like if scouting staffs had more juice, I think you would see different personnel moves. Where it's like, Kyle Shanahan doesn't want to do something.

The personnel staff has no say. He's going to do it. I mean, coaches just, I mean, typically have a lot of juice. And when you're on a winning team, typically the coach has all the juice. That's why I give credit to Siriani, he just kind of knows where he's bread's buttered. So I would say that's, he just has more control over the last, you know, seven, eight years than he ever had early on in his career. He also got the job. I mean, when I got hired, I think it was like 35 years old because I was 24, 25.

I remember thinking, like, he's actually closer to my age than he has a lot of these guys working in the league. It was actually kind of inspirational. It was like, God, they just hire this 35-year-old GM. Long-time Lions fan. MVP question. How is Jonathan Taylor not in the top five of the MVP discussion? He is currently on pace for 1,800 yards and 27 touchdowns. Very similar to LT for the Chargers in his MVP season. Yeah, man, I mean, you can go on and on.

I just think the running backs, I've heard a couple people break this down. They just have no shot. I mean, they probably has to run for 2,500 yards. I mean, seriously. Like, Seekwon couldn't have been there. I just think what Seyuan McCaffrey, what Jonathan Taylor is doing, we might as well just rename it the quarterback MVP. Because it feels very, very unlikely that you're ever going to see a Barry Sanders,

Marshall Falk, L.T, Adrian Peterson, the one year. Quarterback's just going to win it. I don't have a great answer. That just feels like the standard practice moving forward. Fair or not. Huge fan of the show. Got a broader NFL question for you. on this. Why does California

get to host back-to-back Super Bowls? Traveling to California and paying for the Super Bowl experience is way more expensive for fans than the other venues. Doesn't seem fair considering that most of the country is on the East Coast and thus easier

travel. And down here in the south, we really love our football, and I would say more than California. Heck, the Rams won the Super Bowl, and they feel like an afterthought in L.A. We have great stadiums in Atlanta, Miami, Dallas, Houston, New Orleans, but seems like we get passed up. I mean, all those places get it, right?

I mean, New Orleans gets it. I was just there last year. Miami's got it multiple times in the last five years, six years. Arizona gets it on loop. You could argue the Bay Area, like, the Bay Area, if you told me they'd never get another Super Bowl, like I wouldn't complain, right? I mean, it's not an ideal setup like New Orleans. or even in Scottsdale is a much better venue, I think, for a Super Bowl than San Francisco.

But, like, their franchise has a lot of juice. You know, I mean, they have a lot of pull. And they, I mean, the last time San Francisco had it was 10 years ago. So it's not like they get that often. LA is always going to get it. It's a warm weather place. And LA is not just one of the biggest cities in America. It's a place that's hosted this event many times.

and it's also their franchise has a lot of juice. So if you told me that the Super Bowl was just stayed three places. Arizona, New Orleans, and Miami, I don't think anyone would complain. If you just said it's only Miami or only New Orleans, I don't think anyone would complain either. But they're always rotating. And these places, they're going to build these domes like Tennessee, Nashville will get it, even though it's cold there. but if they build a dome stadium or one that has a retractable roof,

they will get one. You know, the Cowboys. I mean, listen, I mean, are random people flying to the Super Bowl experience? I love the NFL, but like I wouldn't exactly call that like Disneyland or anything. But I hear you. I mean, I don't know. I think it has a lot to do with the pull.

And you can only have Super Bowls in nicer climate areas. So, I mean, when I went to the, I was at that game, Panthers, Denver, in Levi Stadium, whatever, 10 years ago. I was sweating. I wore pants and like a button-up short-sleeved shirt, and I remember being hot. It's, so, I mean, weather plays a part. 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. We invented a podcast? Well, we didn't invent it. We just contributed to it.

We're the first 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 Smigel and Friends. Me and hilarious guests from Bob Odenkirk to David Letterman helped make you funnier. This week, my guest, S&L'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 I-Heart Radio app,

Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. I'm Joey Dardano. And on my new podcast, Hope from a Hypocrite, I'll be changing lives, helping people in need with thoughtful solutions. Sike, I'm a comedian. I'm not qualified to give good advice. Join me and my comedian friends as we riff, rant, recommend some of the most legally dubious advice known to me. This is Help from a Hypocrite, the worst advice from the dumbest people you know.

Listen to Help from Hypocrite Wednesdays on the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. This season on Dear Chelsea, with me, Chelsea Handler, we have some fantastic guests like Amelia Clark. When, like, young people come up to me and they want to be an actor or whatever. And my first thing is always, can you think of anything else that you can do? You'd rather be disappointed in. Do that. David O'Yelloo. I love this podcast, whether it's therapy or relationships or religion or sex or addiction or you just go straight for the guts.

Dennis Leary, Gait and Moderato from Stranger Things. Tana Monsu. Camilla Morone, Carrie Kenny Silver. And more. Listen to these episodes of Dear Chelsea on the On the Ones. iHeart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. This is an IHeart podcast. Guaranteed human.