The Herd with Colin Cowherd - BEST OF THE HERD – 49ers Have Big Problems, Bears Take A Big Swing?!, Top 10 NFL QBs

Episode Date: July 30, 2026

Jason McIntyre fills in for Colin Cowherd with bad news for the 49ers. He explains why championship contention window is coming to close and it’s already on display before the regular season begins. Jason ranks the top 10 QBs in the NFL heading into this season: Find out why Patrick Mahomes is no longer number 1 and why Dak Prescott didn’t make the list. Plus, Fox Sports Football analyst Geoff Schwartz joins the show to tell Jason why the Bears should make a major move for RB Bijan Robinson and why Oregon is ready to contend for a National Championship.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is an I-Heart podcast. Guaranteed Human. When Democrats are messing up, I say it. When Republicans are messing up, I say it. I'm S.E. Cup, a journalist and political commentator. And on my podcast, Off the Cup, I help you make sense of the often nonsensical news. I do this on cable news, too, but on my podcast, I can really let loose and be my honest, unfiltered self. I just want to talk about something that happened this week because it's so bonkers.

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Be sure to catch us live every weekday on Fox Sports Radio in noon to 3 Eastern, 9 a.m. to noon Pacific. Find your local station for the herd at Fox SportsRedio.com or stream us live every day on the iHeart Radio app by searching Fox Sports Radio or FSR. This is the best of the herd with Colin Cowher on Fox Sports Radio. We're back, ladies and gentlemen. It is The Herd on a glorious Thursday morning. I am your host, Jason McIntyre, in for Colin Cowherd.

He's back soon. I know you can feel the excitement. But until then, Rachel Nichols and I, holding it down. We did not color coordinate, as you see on the screen. We're just 49ers. in tune. Rachel Redd, Jason, my pink party shirt. It's Thursday.

Start to feel it. Rachel, I know you saw Odyssey earlier this week. Any big news happenings with you on Wednesday? Well, you know, I get Spider-Man tickets for Friday. So I'm all in it, Jason. I got everything. Summer of movies, huh? Summer of movies.

Absolutely. But I'm psyched about training camp starting. I love football. It's the reason I fell in love with sports. It's the reason I do this job. And just the idea that a football Sunday is coming soon is enough for me. It's been a long desert, It's been rough on the weekends.

It has. We got a great show. Jeff Schwartz will be stopping by. He's at Big Ten Media Days. Hey, listen, Big Ten Media Days are happening. Big Ten dominating college football. But let's dive right into the NFL. Rachel mentioned training camps are underway.

And, you know, football fans are starved, right? We haven't had football since February. Any kernel of information is like, hey, this is huge. This is massive. You got coaches talking, players talking. You know, maybe one attention-starved individual owner. is talking Super Bowl. I want to talk about the San Francisco 49ers

because folks, welcome to your season. Oh my gosh. We are one week into training camp and 49ers fans are panicking. Folks, the injury list already looks like a CVS receipt. It is so long and troubling. Niners fans, you've seen this movie

the last two years. I'm going to get you started here. Free agent signing, Christian Kirk, already has a calf injury. Backup running back, Jordan James. broken ribs. Don't scoff at a backup running back. I'll tell you about Christian McCaffey in a minute. Okay. Ricky Pearsall. They draft Ricky Pearsall. The guy cannot stay healthy. He already has a knee injury. Did I mention Coach Kyle Shanahan was in a nasty car accident and needed 40 stitches in his

face, has a deep concussion, broken ribs. It's all very bad. And oh, by the way, Brandon Ayyuk, who's still on the roster, unfortunately. He was great, all pro. They pay him, he's injured, now he's disgruntled. You can find him on Instagram ranting about something or the other. Forty-niners fans, this is your season, and I regret to inform you, but it feels like, as Boys to Men famously said, the end of the road, it does not look good. Now, listen, they've had a glorious run. 2019, they get to the Super Bowl, lose to the Chiefs in heartbreaking fashion. I remember that one. I had money on the Niners. They led in the fourth quarter. It was a, It was ugly.

And in a seven-year span, they made two Super Bowls. They lost to the Chiefs again in overtime. That was a devastating loss. They lost in two NFC championship games. I mean, guys, would you understand if I said, I feel like the window is closed? And I'm not just saying closing, closed. You see George Kittle on the screen. He's coming off in Achilles.

Did I mention their big free agent signing was Mike Evans, who's about to turn 33, and just had an injury. season with hamstrings and a broken collarbone. Look at the list of Niners stars who were injured last season. Now, listen, on some level, Shanahan has to feel like he's Matt Damon in the Odyssey. How many trials and tribulations do I have to deal with? There's this substation nonsense. Two years ago, injuries derailed the season.

Last year, look at this. Proc Purdy missed eight games. My guy, Brock Purdy. Nick Bosa, 14, Warner, 11. somehow in magical fashion, Shanahan got these guys to win 12 games, and they won a playoff game. They won at Philadelphia,

and it's like, wait a minute, despite all those injuries they still won, yeah, they did end the season losing 41-6 to Seattle in a game that was over literally in the first minute, the opening kickoff. So John Lynch is talking about the offense and how all these injuries, are they going to be able to hang?

Here's John Lynch. We've always been an explosive team and probably fell off there a little. And so in your personnel, you go attack that. Mike Evans has been a tremendously explosive player. But I think the bigger approach, Larry, has been collectively, you know, because explosives come in a lot of different shapes and sizes. I love what we were able to get accomplished this offseason. And now we've got to go to work and you've got to earn everything in this league.

And explosives are no different. And they are an important part of football, limiting them on defense and going out there and being an incredibly explosive team on offense and on special teams. And, you know, we we always focus on that, but there has been a high focus on that. Yeah, Mr. Explosive, Christian McCaffrey, awesome season, incredible, carried the team. Remember, Matt Jones started like eight games. McCaffrey was incredible. Unfortunately, he had 413 touches, guys. He just turned 30 years old.

The last time he had 400 touches was year three with the Panthers. He was injured in the next season and only played three games. The magic number in touches, or it just used to be rushes, was 370. Because McCaffrey's that new brand of running back, he's catching 100 balls and rushing 300 times. So listen, the injuries have been brutal. I don't know if the 49ers are going to be able to overcome them. And I will add this final point. Have you looked at the schedule?

The 49ers have the most miles traveled this upcoming season in NFL history. This stat is unbelievable. They go through 58 time zones this year. The previous record was 42. 58 time zones. Now the league kind of screwed them with two international games, opener in Australia, later in Mexico City. I love me some Brock Purdy, and we will talk top 10 quarterbacks later.

Newsflash, Brock Purdy made the list. Sorry, guys, he's that good. he carries them. Can he overcome this old team full of injuries and a lot of travel? We'll see. All right, I want to move on to elsewhere in the NFC. And that is the running back situation developing between Jemir Gibbs and Bijon Robinson. Two of the elite backs in the league. It's weird. They both are doing something called a hold-in right now. They're at camp, but they're not participating. And it's strange because the similarities between these two is incredible. So they're both 24 years old. They were both drafted in

2023. And you know how this game works. Whoever signs first is going to have the richest contract for a running back in NFL history, eclipsing Sequin Barclay, blah, blah, blah. The next day, the other guy will sign for one million more just so he can be the richest running back in NFL history. That's how this game works. But it's a weird game because these two guys are very similar. So since they entered the league, Robinson has more yards. Gibbs has more tuddies. Robinson was first team all pro last year. So you would lean Bijan, okay, I'll give him a slight edge. Important. Neither team made the playoffs. File that away for a moment, okay? Neither team with these star running backs made the playoffs last year.

And then we're having this discussion about, oh, do running backs matter? Well, I don't know, Sequin went from the Giants to the Eagles, was instrumental in helping them get to the Super Bowl. Super Bowl, 2,000 yards, yada, yada, yada, running backs matter again. Okay, well, last year, the Patriots got to the Super Bowl with young running backs, who haven't been paid. The Seattle Seahawks, they're running back one MVP of the Super Bowl, and they just let him go, you know? The Denver Broncos won 14 games, got to the conference championship, running back by committee.

Like, you know, there are many ways to play the running back game. but this is where it gets interesting, okay? Gibbs cannot leave the Lions under no circumstances. They cannot lose him. Why? Because they're a Super Bowl team. Now, they're a fringe Super Bowl team, but they're definitely in the mix.

The schedule is fortuitous. I gave them out yesterday in the over-unders. They could legitimately win that division. Gough, Amun-Rogg, Gibbs. It's an awesome offense elite for sure. They're going to be in the mix. We'll see about the defense. But Bichon Robinson is.

interesting guys. I don't know what to make of the Falcons. They just got a new coach in Kevin Stefansky and someone on our morning meeting was like, yeah, the last time Stafansky made the playoffs in Cleveland, he had like a bunch of different running backs and no major superstar due to a bunch of injury, Jerome Ford, if you remember that name was a factor. So it's like, Stefansky can make, you know, lemonade out of some lemons. He doesn't have a quarterback right now. They're not, forget Super Bowl. I don't even know if the Falcons are a playoff. team. And in a weak division, that's not a good sign. So I'm going to ask you this. Okay. If you're the Falcons, do you consider trading Bijan Robinson? And this is why I think it could

make sense. I know Falcons fans love Bijan. He's electrifying. How are you going to trade our biggest star? Well, let me ask you about this. Are they going anywhere in the next two or three years with Bejohn Robinson? I think the answer is no. And I look at Christian McCaffrey in Carolina as a blueprint. First three years, he's awesome. Where did it get them? Nowhere. So he gets hurt the next two years and eventually Carolina decides, you know what? Let's trade him.

He goes to the Niners. They get a bunch of picks. And wouldn't you know it a few years later, the Panthers actually kind of sort of were decent. Christian McCaffrey didn't get them to the playoffs, right? And then they make the move get a haul of picks. I mean, this isn't the Hershal Walker deal we're talking about here. Those are not happening. But Bejohn Robinson is a superstar.

And you wonder, is there a fit for Bejohn on perhaps a team? I don't know, with a coach who could use him in the run game. Is there maybe a rookie quarterback on the roster? And I'm looking at you, Ben Johnson and the Chicago Bears. You guys remember Ben Johnson in Detroit, right? Had Jemir Gibbs. You saw what he did with Gibbs. Is there a world where Ben Johnson says, you know, we had a really good run game last year.

Despite, you know, offensive line concerns, a run game should be good this year. Do we give that run game jet fuel in the form of Bejan Robinson? Do we go out, make a splashy move? We do what the Rams do. Forget them picks. We're all in. Let's give up some future draft capital. We got a great young roster.

We had Bejohn Robinson to Caleb Williams. And it might be game over in the end. NFC North. That team would be a juggernaut. Now, I know the Houston Texans fans are saying, hey, we got room for running back. It's been an issue. Maybe we bring him to the AFC. But I do think, Gibbs is not going anywhere. Lions are not moving off him. But keep an eye on Bejohn Robinson with the Christian McCaffrey trade as the blueprint. They actually held on to McCaffrey too long and he was coming off injuries. Bejohn's right now, he could definitely fetch you two first round picks, for sure. And then if you're Atlanta and you're Stefansky, you're like, all right, well, we'll figure out the quarterback spot. Either way, we're building a roster, Seattle Seahawks style, and we'll plug in the quarterback at a later date. So keep an eye on the Bijon Robinson Holden. I think there's something there. All right, folks, Dan Campbell actually talked about Gibbs wanting a new deal. We have that right here for you.

You guys know how we feel about Gibbs And all of our guys Laporte or Brand all you know And so we'll take this as it comes This is a you know This will this will kind of continue It'll it'll come as it comes I think that's the best way to say it

And so you know this is This is both both sides working through something Yeah like I said Gibbs is not going anywhere Bejan Robinson That's the name to watch All right coming up next here on the herd very interesting numbers in jersey sales recently in the NBA. A player moved teams.

He sold a lot of jerseys and you start to wonder, how do you define influence in the NBA? Is an old guy still very influential? That's next here on the herd. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern, 9 a.m. Pacific on Fox Sports Radio, FS1 and the IHeart Radio app. Hey, we're Kavino and Rich. Fox Sports Radio every day, 5 to 7 p.m. Eastern.

But here's the thing. We never have enough time to get to everything we want to get to. And that's why we have a brand new podcast called Overpromised. You see, we're having so much fun in our two-hour show. We never get to everything. Honestly, because this guy is over-promising things we never have time for. Yeah, you blubber lips. Blame and me.

Well, you know what? It's called Over-Promise. You should be good at it because you've been over-promising women for years. Well, it's a Kavino and Rich after show, and we want you to be a part of it. We're going to be talking sports, of course, but we're also going to talk life and relationships. And if Rich and I are arguing about something or we didn't have enough time, it will continue on our after show called Overpromised. Well, if you don't get enough, Kavino and Rich, make sure you check out Overpromised, and also uncensored, by the way. So maybe we'll go at it even a little harder.

It's going to be the best after show podcast of all time. There you go. Overpromising. And remember, you could see it on YouTube, but definitely join us. Listen to Overpromised with Kavino and Rich on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. You've heard the chaos. Now you can see it. Hello. My gosh.

Watch all your favorite podcasts from start to finish, right inside the free IHard Radio app. Gets the blood going up. Catch every laugh and eye roll on shows like the Tom Green Farmcast and park the bus. Now with full video. We're building a ramp for Tony Hawk. It's the same hosts and the same chemistry with all the hilarious moments you've been missing. Right on your screen. Cheers.

Open the free IHR Radio app. Search video podcasts and tap watch. The Declaration, which is full of these beautifully rendered sentences and paragraphs about enlightenment ideals, does also have this darker history to it. Why is it important for the darker part of the Declaration of Independence in the American Revolution? Why is it important that Americans know about it? well, if we don't understand the full context in which our nation was founded, we won't understand the full context in which our nation now finds itself.

I'm Rebecca Nagel. Gohin, Taoadol, Julyette, Lee, Geh, Leigh, citizen of Cherokee Nation. Are you guys big Chiefs fans? Hell yeah. This is First America, the true story of how the United States came to be, and how we got to this present moment. Listen to First America on the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Hey, I'm Nora Jones, and I love playing music with people so much that my podcast called Playing Along is back. I sit down with musicians from all musical styles to play songs together in an intimate setting. Every episode's a little different, but it all involves music and conversation with some of my favorite musicians. Over the past two seasons, I've had special guests like Dave Grohl, Leve, Mavé, Mavis Staples, Remy Wolf, Jeff Tweedy, really too many to name. And this season, I've sat down with Joshua Hami, Sarah McLaughlin, John Legend, and more. Check out my new episode with Phineas.

So I went home and I asked Billy if she wanted to sing it. She immediately made it her own thing. No faith. You really know how to make me cry when you give me those oceans. So come hang out with us in the studio and listen to playing along on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. I'm Munga shit together, and I'm back with a new season of the podcast Skyline Drive. This time I'm diving into a rabbit hole of peptides, organoids, blood boys, blue zones,

and brain replacement to try to understand what this longevity obsession is all about and what it really means to live forever, for all of us. I learned about some rad science. I can make a brain for you, and then, we can test what draw is the best for your brain, as opposed to his brain. Here's some hard truths. I would expect Indians to age faster, but I did not expect it to be almost a four to five-year acceleration. And get myself into a world of trouble.

I'd say probably start bone smashing. That doesn't work. Make it look more defined. They say it works. I don't know. Listen to Skyline Drive, How to Live Forever on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast. or wherever you get your podcast. Back here on the herd, our next guest, he is incredible when it comes to football, college, and the NFL.

Let's bring in Jeff Schwartz, Fox Sports Analyst. How we doing, Jeff? You enjoying Big Ten Media Days? Good. It's football season. Yeah. Oh, yeah, and it's football season. There's nothing better than this.

Do you love the coach speak there? Is it getting crazy? What's the early read from you? All right. So I'm fortunate enough to do radio here, and the coaches are very candid with us, which is great. We've done this years in a row now, so I know who we are. And so the coaches just kind of talk about their teams, man. You can tell which coaches are excited, which are not, which is kind of, when you do it long enough, you figure it out.

So, you know, a lot of pressure on Oregon to win this year. SIG's excited, obviously, for the funniest championship. Ryan Day knows how good they are, so a lot of fun this year. Yeah, all right. We'll get to college in a moment. We'll go to the NFL. One of the big stories right now is this Bijjan Robinson, Jemir Gibbs, in. They both won new deals. They want to reset the

running back market. My view is obviously Gibbs is going to return to Detroit. He's not going anywhere. But Bijan Robinson's interesting, especially if we look at the Christian McCaffrey parallel in Carolina. They were going nowhere fast. They end up trading him, getting a haul, and it helped them fortify their roster.

They just made the playoffs. I'm wondering, do you see a world where Atlanta, spinning their wheels, going nowhere, says maybe we may move off Bijon, get a bunch of draft picks, maybe you get two firsts? I mean, he's still in his prime, firsts. All-Pro? What do you think? So I'm a big fan of a running-back

addition to your team or a draft pick. If you have the quarterback and everything else in place, right? So when you're set at quarterback and you add the running back, we saw with McCaffrey to San Francisco, we saw with Sequin Barkley to Philly, we saw with Gibbs to Detroit, where they had the offensive line and golf, and

they can supercharge your offense, right? Yeah. Right now, Atlanta, Pennix is hurt and recovering. Two was out. They just signed Cooper Rush to play quarterback. They're going through. It feels like a roster transition. keeping Bijan as good as he is. He's a fantastic player. Doesn't really get him to their end goal, right?

They're years maybe away from being good enough a quarterback to really use a running back in that way. Set him to the Bears, right? Look at the Bears right now. They have the offense align, the wide receivers, the tight end, the quarterback, the coach. You had a running back like that and supercharged the offense.

So I'm with Atlanta exploring a trade here. It makes sense just the way I would want to build my roster. And they're just, they're not in a quarterback. They don't have a quarterback in the future right now. Most likely, it's not going to be panics. So get rid of Bejohn, get draft picks. They obviously lost the first round pick in this draft for James Pierce. They just need better players.

So make that trade. 100%. All right, let's go to Baker Mayfield, Jeff. He is, it's crazy that Tampa just decides, yeah, we don't want to extend you. Sorry, you're going to play out your deal. Baker got them to the playoffs. Three of the last four seasons, I believe.

He has as many playoffs wins as Dak Prescott, whatever that means. But it's like, really? I mean, Baker's saying he feels undervalued. I know Todd Bowles was on the hot seat and Tampa kind of cratered at the end of last year, but are you surprised by this? I'm not. It does feel like this is the end of this run with Baker Mayfield after this season. Obviously, Mike Evans departing maybe was the start of that.

But they're tying coaching quarterback together, right? So if you end up having the season that you think you're going to have, maybe keep everyone. If not, it sets up to where Baker King's, go, your coach can go, and you bring a new coach and a new quarterback, right? I mean, look, Baker Mayfield last season, I've enjoyed watching him on the documentary that they had out there, but he's getting older, right? He's getting more beat up.

You saw last season they cratered at the end of last season. Why are they going to pay a quarterback that seems to maybe be a little bit on the downward? Their coach, maybe the downward a little bit as well, why time together for a couple more scenes? It does feel like this is a sort of a prove-a-year for those guys. If you're not able to win the vision again, the Saints have gotten better, right? The Panthers have gotten better. think it makes sense to just say, look, let's wait and see if we play well this year.

Maybe we'll award everyone with contract sessions, but it does feel like this could be the end of this sort of Baker-Millifield run in Tampa Bay after the years over. They move off Mike Evans, Levante David, two veterans, and now Vita Vaya wants out. Just a weird vibe. I actually think Baker would fit perfectly in Pittsburgh with Mike McCarthy next year when Aaron Rogers is gone. Remember McCarthy and Dak Prescott, that was an amazing pairing. I think Baker's still probably a top 18 quarterback in the league,

and he's not paid like it? He's paid less than Daniel Jones and some of these other guys. I'm like, I don't know. Are you low on Baker? No, he deserves to get paid better than those guys. I hate the Pittsburgh idea. Pittsburgh has got to finally invest in a top quarterback draft pick. It is time to do that.

It's time to finally go ahead. However you get there, whether that's not being good this season, which is unlikely in drafting what is trading up like baker mayfield just is another run of quarterbacks for them that make no sense no look baker mayfield deserves the money he deserves more money but what you deserve doesn't mean you're going to get in the NFL right the leverage tends to go on the team in the situation and i understand he's upset i was surprised he was so vocal with that with uh with his disappointment the last couple of days i get he's trying to put pressure on the team he's not going to sit out he wants to win he deserves more money absolutely maybe they decided a one-year deal or just give him a little more money this season to make him happy, but I'm not surprised he hasn't got a long-term contract. I don't think he wants that. I think he wants to get a long-term deal, because if he gets hurt this year, he's got nothing. You know, and he plays a reckless brand of football.

All right, let's go to Fernando Mendoza. I'm so fascinated by this story. The Raiders have decided that Kirk Cousins is their guy. Much like the Atlanta Falcons going nowhere with Bejohn, he ain't going nowhere with Kirk Cousins. I would put Mendoza out there, obviously, assuming he doesn't look like total garbage in camp. We haven't seen much

footage of him. There's no stats, really, that I've scene. So they're kind of keeping stuff a secret. Mendoza famously cooked your Oregon Ducks to the tune of five TD passes in the college football playoff. Thank you. Listen, I love Mendoza. I don't know where you are, but I'm just curious your thoughts

on cousins and Mendoza. And when you were in the league, was there any situation where there's a veteran versus a number one pick on your roster? Look, I think ideally you would always love to let the number one pick sit as long as possible, right? And the most ideal world of all time. But this is not the most ideal world of all

time, right? Like, these guys have got to play, and you have to figure out whether they're your guy immediately to build around them. And when you think about times where quarterbacks have sat for a while, where Mahomes did it, but Alex Smith had a, as besties of his career, right? Like, he played great. Obviously, Jordan Love sat beside, you know, behind Rogers. This is cousins. Like, you're not, you're sitting behind a guy with no future whatsoever to make your team better. And the only way this team will get better is to play Mendoza early in his career, let him figure out, let him have the bumps in bruises and you want to see improvement over every quarter of the season right so the second quarter is better in the first quarter of the season better than the second quarter and by the fourth

quarter of the season the last four or five games obviously there's one game extra now so it doesn't work perfectly he's at the point where he's your franchise guy you know what you need to build around him so playing cousins to me makes zero sense whatsoever i get ideally ideal world you'd love to do it i get it play mendoza man like we saw last season how ready is for the NFL let him play early on and let him go through his bumps and breezes. All right, let's go to college football. We'll start with Oregon. We got an Oregon staffer here, a guy on staff from Oregon,

who is like, we're winning the title this year, loves them. I mean, listen, Dante Moore is, is he the best player in college football? I will just say, Jeff, I liked him a lot for the Jets, and then I saw some shaky-ish performances in high-leverage games last year that made me question. But I don't know, your thoughts on Dante Moore. I don't want to use this entire time up on Dante Moore, but, you know, the first Indiana game was a lot of,

little bit rough. I think the rest of the season was absolutely fine. You look at what he did against Iowa with no wide receivers. That's part of the story is that back half of the season, they had three scholarship wide outs for many games in a row. And you look at the championship game. He threw one bad pass early on, right? The out that was picked off.

And he was fine. The rest time against Indiana, Texas Tech was a big part of the offensive line was a problem. And I like his decision to come back. He showed maturity throughout his career, right? Sat one year at Oregon behind Dylan Gabriel. I think it's refining those little moments, right? He said he put on 15 pounds, which is great.

I don't consider him a runner. You've seen highlights right now. He can run the football. The question for Oregon is really the offensive coordinator, right? They elevated Drew to be the offensive coordinator. You know, he replaces Will Stein. That's a big job for him. And it's just a couple moments of the year when you're really going to tell the difference

at USC at Ohio State. But this team, I know when I say it's championship robust. People will say, well, Oregon's been that way before. There's a difference between saying that and actually believing that and having the roster to do so. they brought back their entire defensive line. Their tired defensive line are top 100 draft picks, right, including Amari Washington

in the first round pick. You know, they brought back their secondary, which is young but second best in the country. They brought back tight in number one, Jamari Johnson. They got Dante Moore. They have two, three running backs. They're really good. They might have the best wide receiver room in the country by the time the season has done. It's a supremely talented team.

They just have to be better in rematches. They were bad against Indiana and a rematch, Ohio State, and against Washington. That's been their bugaboo. The rematch, the rematch, the rematches matches have been a problem. But Dan Linnis 39, man. He's a young coach. He'll figure out. Oh, my gosh. All right. Jeff Schwartz, live from Big Ten Media Days. All right, Jeff, man, looking good, buddy. We'll talk to you soon. Thank you. Take care. Thank you, bud.

Yeah, yeah, Jeff Schwartz. Good stuff. Former NFL offensive lineman, obviously a former Oregon duck. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays at noon Eastern 9 a.m. Pacific. You've heard the chaos. Now you can see it. Hello. My gosh. Watch all your favorite podcasts from start to finish, right inside the free IHRRA radio app. Gets the blood going off. Catch every laugh and eye roll on shows like the Tom Green Farmcast and park the bus.

Now with full video. It's the same hosts and the same chemistry with all the hilarious moments you've been missing right on your screen. Cheers. Open the free IHR radio app. Search video podcasts and tap watch. The Declaration, which is full of these beautifully rendered, sentences and paragraphs about enlightenment ideals, does also have this darker history to it.

Why is it important for the darker part of the Declaration of Independence and the American Revolution? Why is it important that Americans know about it? Well, if we don't understand the full context in which our nation was founded, we won't understand the full context in which our nation now finds itself. I'm Rebecca Nagel. Gohin, Dawadol, to like I et,

Lee Leigh, citizen of Cherokee Nation. Are you guys big Chiefs fans? Hell yeah. This is First America, the true story of how the United States came to be,

and how we got to this present moment. Listen to First America on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, I'm Nora Jones, and I love playing music

with people so much that my podcast called Playing Along is back. I sit down with musicians from all musical styles to play songs together in an intimate setting. Every episode's a little different, but it all involves music and conversation with some of my favorite musicians. Over the past two seasons,

I've had special guests like Dave Grohl, Lave, Mavis Staples, Remy Wolf, Jeff Tweedy, really too many to name. And this season, I've sat down with Joshua Hami, Sarah McLaughlin, John Legend, and more.

Check out my new episode with Phineas. So I went home and I asked Billy if she wanted to sing it. She immediately made it her own thing. No faith. You really know how to make me cry when you give me those oceans. So come hang out with us in the studio and listen to Playing Along on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. I'm Munga shit together and I'm back with a new season of the podcast, Skyline Drive. This time I'm diving into a rabbit hole of peptides, organoid.

blood boys, blue zones, and brain replacement to try to understand what this longevity obsession is all about, and what it really means to live forever, for all of us. I learned about some rad science. I can make a brain for you, and then we can test what draw is the best for your brain, as opposed to his brain. Here are some hard truths. I would expect Indians to age faster, but I did not expect a few. to be almost a four to five year acceleration. And get myself into a world of trouble.

I'd say probably start bone smashing. That doesn't work. Make it look more defined. They say it works. I don't know. Listen to Skyline Drive, How to Live Forever on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Hey, what is the top 10 quarterback?

These are the guys I would take right now. Now, I do need to say, I'm not Mr. Hey! Jaden Daniels had an amazing rookie year. You've got to put him in the top 10. We did that with C.J. Stroud. Remember that? He was really good.

Got to the playoffs. Oh, he's a top 10 quarterback. Let's just see a little more. And we haven't. Jaden Daniels, everybody wanted to do that. He's amazing. Top 10. Can we see a little more?

He gets hurt. Like, this kind of thing happens all the time. The newest guy is Drake May. Oh, my gosh. Runner-up MVP. It was so amazing. I need to say a little more, guys. I'm not going to get giddy over one season.

So here we go, top 10 quarterbacks in the NFL. We're going to start with honorable mention. Are you ready? Starting honorable mention, Trevor Lawrence. I did not see a lot of greatness with a lot of bad coaching. Then he gets Liam Cohen. And Trevor Lawrence is now in my honorable mention. Lawrence is going to be good.

I think you've got a strong case for top 10. I did not have him in there. I need to see another year with Cohen to make sure he is a superstar. I've got Drake May getting honorable mention. Now, again, a lot of people are going to lose their minds. He almost won the MVP. Guys, that was one season. All the stars aligned.

Hey, man, anybody could be great for a playoff run, Sam Darnold last season. Can I see it for more than a season, though, with Drake May just, that's all I'm asking. I'm not saying he won't be top 10 next year. I just need to see more than a season. Okay? Besides Drake May, we're going to go, Caleb Williams. And I know Colin has him like top five. Guys, Caleb Williams was awesome in the clutch, six fourth quarter comebacks.

He was Mr. Mr. Comeback making all the throws paired with Ben Johnson amazing. We saw him before Ben Johnson got there. How was Caleb Williams? Oh, I don't know what we got here. Okay? So if we're being honest, I need to see another year of Caleb and Ben Johnson to make the list. And finally, Dak Prescott also makes honorable mention. He was probably my number 11 because he's done it for a long time.

really, really good, but somebody can't make the list. All right, here we go. Number 10, top quarterbacks in the NFL. We are starting off with Jared Goff. Mr. Consistency hasn't missed a game in four seasons. If I'm lining up for a game today and it's indoors, Jared Goff is definitely high on the list. He's a high accuracy quarterback.

He does it. He's not mobile, which is why he's 10 and not higher. But Jared Goff, all he does is find open receivers, great with Ben Johnson's system, and actually played really well last year. Injuries are what got him, so golf is 10. Number nine, Brock Purdy. But Jason, he was hurt last year.

Okay, he missed eight games, got it. He's perceived as a dink and dunk guy because he's not huge. Just an FYI, he has the highest yards per attempt of any starting quarterback in NFL history. That's Brock Purdy throwing the ball down the field. The argument against him is he's in Shanahan's offense, but I mean I don't what do you want me to do? Do you want me to put him in a bad offense and see?

Do you want me to put him with some of the guys we're about to see on this list in their offense? And then maybe he's got problems. But as a processor and success rate EPA, Brock Prudy grades out high on all those. So I've got him ninth. Number eight, Jordan Love. I continue to be very high on Jordan Love. He has had some slow starts in his career. But how about this?

In December and January, 24 TVs and four picks. Some of this is LaFleur, who's a very good coach. But Jordan Love, he can make all the throws. He's mobile enough. If he were more mobile, he'd be higher on this list. I really like Jordan Love as a quarterback. If you couldn't tell, I'm bullish on the Packers this year.

Number seven, Super Bowl MVP. Yes, Rachel. Jalen Hertz. For all the guys who say, wow, Hertz can't do this. He can't do that. He doesn't throw many times a game. They don't have him throw over third. 30 times.

Do you remember him in the Super Bowl against Spagnolo and the Chiefs? He had 375 yards of total offense, four total touchdowns, and Wood's going to be the MVP of that game if they had pulled off the victory, but of course Mahomes goes down the field for the win. Jaylen Hertz can do that. They just historically don't have him doing that

because they're cycling through OCs every freaking year. I'm just telling you, you know, If you put Jalen Hertz in an offense with a great offensive coordinator, what is he? You swap Jalen Hertz and Caleb Williams. Tell me, are we different on Jalen Hertz? So again, he hasn't had a great offensive mind yet that's stuck around because anybody good gets a new job. I have Hertz 7.

Dual threat. I love the guy. I think he's a winner. All right, let's go to number six. This is the one Rachel had some beef with earlier. Justin Herbert. Yes, he's got zero playoff wins. I get it.

But again, when I'm looking at quarterbacks, I'm looking in totality. Okay? Playoff wins are like a team stat. Okay? Justin Herbert, go look at the history of offensive coordinators who's calling his plays. I think you could argue he's been held back by some weak offensive coordinators. And now he gets Mike McDaniel. And this will be the true test where I believe we'll see Justin Herbert.

I think he's as mobile as almost any quarterback in the league. And some of these numbers, guys, since entering the NFL, top five in touchdown passes. He's had four different head coaches in six seasons. Yeah, one of the worst offensive lines in the league last year. We haven't even seen close to the best of Justin Herbert. He's at six. Number five, Matthew Stafford, the oldest guy on this list by a mile, but won the MVP last year.

Now, this is another one where people are going to say, well, he's got McVeigh. He's got Puka. He's got Devante Adams. What did he do in Detroit? Well, actually, I would say go look at the numbers in Detroit. He kept that sad sack franchise afloat. He was tremendous. Then you put him in a turbocharged McVeigh offense and it's like, oh, that's right.

He's elite. He's one of the best quarterbacks in the league. Now, again, not in the top four here because he's not very mobile. But Stafford can make every throw highest graded passer in the NFL last season. And again, for people who want to say, well, Caleb can do this. Drake can do that. We've got like 15 years of data on Matt Stafford being very, very good. very, very good. I need to see more than 16 or 20 games from those guys. All right. Now, the top

four should be obvious. The order's the only question. Joe Burrow, I mean, what can you say about the guy other than, you know, Joe Burroughs a superstar in this league? If he had a great head coach, and I know Zach Taylor comes from the big Vatree, I mean, we're talking about a guy who probably is on a Hall of Fame track if he's not already. We're talking about Joe Borough, who, oh my gosh, is this real? All-time leader in the NFL and completion percentage and completions per game. Why is he throwing that many times? Because the defense stinks and can't stop a nosebleed.

Joe Burrow can make every throw in the book, great scrambler, great at the line of scrimmage, great audibling, he's at good playoff runs. There's nothing this guy can't do except stay healthy. Joe Burrow for me, number four. Now the top three are going to cause a little consternation. Patrick Mahomes is number three. News flash for the advanced stats nerds. Last three years, nobody better at EPA success rate than Patrick Mahomes.

The guy is a magician. One of the great quarterbacks in NFL history. Well, Jay, why is he only three on your list? And I did take him down just a peg from the top two because he wasn't healthy. And he's coming off a major injury. So this is my top 10 quarterbacks heading into the season. Mahomes is probably going to be fine. You know, he's my new BFF.

We were hanging out earlier this summer, you know, for like seven minutes. I think Mahomes is exactly what you want in a quarterback. If you're building one in the lab, it's pretty much a combo of these top three guys. Patrick Mahomes, for me, is number three. Number two, we're going to Lamar Jackson. Again, another guy coming off an injury, not as severe, obviously, as Mahomes, but the two-time MVP guys is unbelievable. And I wonder if we were doing this list and let's say, I don't know,

Mark Andrews caught a two-point conversion in the playoffs, or Zay Flowers didn't fumble at the goal line. Are the narratives different around Lamar Jackson? I don't think he's been amazing in the playoffs, but he hasn't been atrocious. And other players, small tiny gaffs, if not, is Lamar been in a Super Bowl? I mean, he is unbelievable,

and again, this is heading into this season. I'm very bullish on the Ravens and Lamar Jackson. And for me, the number one quarterback in the NFL right now is Josh Allen. I think he's exactly what you want. size, arm strength, toughness. There's really nothing left to say about Josh Allen, except for he needs to make a Super Bowl. Six straight seasons with at least a playoff win,

longest streak in the NFL. He's ranked one or two in total touchdowns each of the last five seasons. Going from a defensive coach to Joe Brady will see, still hasn't had in the last two seasons, really that elite number one receiver. And again, I like to play this game. I don't know if you guys do.

If you put Josh Allen in Andy Reed's hands, the way Mahomes has had him, is how good is Josh Allen? Like, I think that's a real conversation that needs to be had. Now, Jesse Minter had an interesting quote talking about Lamar Jackson. Take a listen. Well, Lamar is incredible. Again, best player in the league. When he's out there and he's, you know, obviously really engaged like he is,

He makes everybody on the field better. So he makes the offense better. He makes the defense better for having to defend that type of player. All he's got to do is be himself. That's what he's proven that he is over the course of time. I do think sometimes when, you know, you're trying to learn new things, like it really energizes you because you know that there's like a requirement to get where you want to get between now and the game.

So I just appreciate the way he's gone about his business. Okay, so I want to bring in Rachel here. When Colin did his, I kind of tore it apart. And I expect you to do the same. I do want to just say, so top 10 opens the door to what the hell does that mean? This is not a resume. This is not what you just did last season. For me, I prefer like a three-season sample size, which is why Jaden Daniels gets dinged, Drake.

I just, I need to see more. I think that is totally fair. By the way, Jesse Minter, this is the second or third time. We played that quote this week. It's like, sounds like a guy who knows his predecessor got fired by the quarterback. he's the best player in the NFL Look I think with your top guys right I don't think you can put it down to coaching

If he had this coach if he had that coach Josh Allen has had turnover problems That's not a coaching thing right That's not oh if he had Andy Reid And that I'm not sure I would put him right at the top there After what happened in the playoffs last year They lost the playoff game largely because of him He took the blame afterward and I thought that that was appropriate

He turned the ball over multiple times you cannot do that at that level, especially with the chiefs out of it the way that they were. Finally, you had a clear path and look what he did. So I'm still putting guys a little bit ahead of him.

I'm going to give Patrick Mahomes more credit. I think that he bumps up there one at least because I do think he's going to come back fine with that injury. I'm not worried about him. He's had play with the brace before, that kind of thing. And Justin Herbert, man,

I'm not insulting him as a person. Oh, you clearly are the one. I am not. You are the one who keeps telling me how good Jalen Hertz is. Yeah. Why isn't Jalen Hertz above Justin Herbert? I think as a runner, they're probably about equal. Obviously, Hertz and the Tush push, you know, short-yard and stuff. But as a thrower, I give Herbert the edge over Hertz. I like Hertz a lot,

but I give Herbert the edge over Hurst. That would be why for me. I would have to see it from Justin Herbert this year. Everything has been done for him at this point. He's got the excellent head coach. He's got offense around him that is strong. He may now redid the offensive line completely. He's got who I think, and I think you think, is one of the elite OCs in the game. It's time, Justin Herbert. Would you have Herbert in the top ten? I would, but probably further down.

I put him closer, maybe between Prudy and golf. And Jaden Daniels? Jaden Daniels, he might sneak into my top ten. But, you know, that's biased. I think he was set up, not set up to fail, but we knew last season wasn't going to be as good. This season should be better. I'm Mangishatikula, and I'm back with a new season of my podcast. podcast, Skyline Drive. This time I talked to scientists, biopunks, kermudgins, blues owners,

super seniors, and Goa's top cryotherapy lab to try to understand this obsession with living forever and what it means for all of us. And I get into a bit of trouble along the way. I'd say probably start bone smashing. That doesn't work. To make it look more defined. They say it works. I don't know. Listen to Skyline Drive, How to Live Forever on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. 150 years ago, they were hunting us down to kill us, and now they're hunting down immigrants to deport them.

This is First America, the true story of how the United States came to be, and how we got to this present moment. Listen to First America on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Paul Verzi here, and I want to talk to you about Paul's best podcast. Players Network and I Heart Radio. I sit down each week with a special guest, and we discuss the absolute best of things. It's that, and then there's everything else.

Dude, his whole life has sounded like the first drop of a roller coaster. I mean, I can't even tell you, Paul, how crazy it was. It was insane. Listen to Paul's best podcast on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. When teenager Joy Morgan discovered the religious group, Israel United in Christ, she believed she'd found the truth. Many believe

she found a cult. Then she disappeared. The new podcast, The Missing Sister, explores her story, the family she left, and the religious group she found. You know when you get that a feed, I'm like, I don't want to be here. I want to get out. I want to go to her now. All episodes available

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