The Herd with Colin Cowherd - Hour 1 - Could the Chiefs dynasty be coming to an end?

Episode Date: January 19, 2024

Jason McIntyre fills in for Colin and explains why the Chiefs dynasty as we know it could be coming to an end Cam Newton calls out Jason, Jason responds He talks to NFL reporter Albert Breer to get the latest on the head coach openings across the league  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Find your local station for the herd at Fox Sports Radio.com or stream us live every day in the IHeart Radio app by searching Fox Sports Radio or FSR. We're listening to Fox Sports Radio. Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to the herd. It's me, Jason McIntyre, in for a traveling Colin Cowherd. I'm joined today to preview NFL Divisional Weekend with the great Alex Curry. Alex, how you doing in your tennis green look? I like to say bright colors bring me joy, and this has been a really happy week. I have the entire Curry family in town this week.

So it's just been a good time. We're in playoff football, like, vibes are good. Yeah. And bright colors bring me joy. That's good to hear. And I need some joy on the set because Cam Newton is coming from my neck. I mean, Cam, what's going on? That was the last time that we were on together.

I think it was. I think it was. Boy, Cam Newton, I thought we were boys. Geez, goodness gracious. I will attack that. We got a lot of playoff divisional stuff to discuss. But folks, we got to start with the big report last night that Andy Reed could, could, could be looking to step down as the coach of the Kansas City Chiefs after this season. Now, it's not quite a bombshell report.

We do hear, heck, almost yearly. Could Andy Reid retire? Is this the year he walks away? Andy Reid, of course, has had an unbelievable career. First in Philadelphia, just dominating there, taking them to a Super Bowl, and now going to Kansas City and pairing with Patrick Mahomes. To form really a great one-two punch, they have had a dynastic run here. You go to five straight conference championship games.

You win two Super Bowls. That's a dynasty, folks. And we know that the league is set up for parity. The NFL does not want dynasties. They structure it, salary cap-wise, everything, so that parity reigns, so that everybody walks into every season with a chance, which is great, except for my Jets, of course, who never seemingly have a chance. Andy returned 66 in March.

And I started looking at the chiefs, and I'm like, well, huh, interesting year. If you want to be glass-half-full, Jason, and I do like to be positive occasionally. you could say, well, you know, they were one or two plays away from going from 11 wins to 13. You know, they got some unlucky calls against them. They had a couple drops, led the league in drops, that if things go the other way, Kansas City is right back at the one seat. And this is much ado about nothing, and we're still talking about the dynasty rolling on. But you know the phrase, nothing lasts forever, folks. And you start to dig into Kansas City and you're like, ooh, oh, boy, there are some,

warning signs here that things may go awry sooner than later. Well, you could start with this weekend's game. It's the first road game for Mahomes and Reed in the playoffs. Everything else has been at home. And you're like, well, how does that happen? Well, I don't know. You kind of look at the roster and you see, okay, Mahomes got paid and wait a minute. Does his salary cap?

Oh, yeah, his cap hit goes up $20 million next year. This idea that they're going to be able to refurbish things quickly on the fly, that could be difficult. Let me take a look at the free agents for next year. Okay, the Chiefs, oh boy, spot track, which tracks all the salary cap stuff, has the Chiefs with seven starters heading into free agency this offseason, led of course by Chris Jones, who had an acrimonious offseason with KC. He missed the opener against Detroit.

Jones wants to get paid. Chiefs are drawing a line in the sand. It looks like Chris Jones will probably be elsewhere next season. You look at their great quarterback, Legerius Sneed. He kind of bullied Tyreek Hill last week. I'm sure you remember him. Sneed is fantastic. Somebody's going to pay him.

Left tackle Donovan Smith and you're like, oh boy, Casey kind of has some issues. And then you look at the man, the myth, the legend. Patrick Mahomes. Wow. He had a terrible year. Wait, no. Patrick Mahomes had the worst season of his NFL career by any statistical measure you want to look at.

And I know that's a tough thing to say. Mahomes is an unbelievable talent. everybody loves him. He's in a billion commercials. He's clearly already a Hall of Famer. He's got the MVP, the Super Bowl MVP's. The guy is unbelievable. But as we know, it's tough to stay on top forever.

And if you want to look at yards per attempt, I mean, heck, I'll save some of this for the second hour. But folks, go look at the deep ball passing of Patrick Wilhomes this season. Pro football focus had him as one of the worst deep ball passers in the league. One touchdown. Six picks. I mean, C.J. Stroud was miles better than Mahomes on the deep ball. Brock Purdy. Don't even mention.

Brock Purdy's deep ball passing this year was great. So what's wrong with the Chiefs? It can't just be the drops. Is it that Travis Kelsey's getting up there in age? He's 34, starting to show signs of decline. I like the Chiefs this weekend. I think Kelsey will dominate the bills and their backup linebackers. We'll see the injury report later.

But you start to look at this Reed report, and then you dig into Kansas City, and you're like, geez, nothing does last forever. Maybe there's a chance that Reed just says, you know what? I had a good run. I want to go retire. I don't need the drama of having to cycle through coordinators every offseason. Hey, Matt Nagy, is he coming back? It has not looked pretty.

Yeah, Bien of me last year, Biont of me then goes to Washington. And it's just, you start to wonder, is this maybe the end of the Chief's dynasty? You know, you have Reed and Mahomes. You're set. What if Reed walks away? And that's why I want to talk about kind of the reinvention of teams. If you look at Brady and his run in New England, Brady and Belichick constantly were reinventing themselves. If you follow music, tech, NBA basketball players, you constantly have to be reinventing yourself.

Remember, the Patriots went from winning with defense and running with Cory Dillon and then, oh, we're going to bring on Randy Moss. P.S., there's not a Randy Moss out there for Patrick Baham's to. grab and turn into a 50 touchdown wizard like Brady did. And then the Patriots said, we'll go with slot receivers, Edelman, Welker. And then we'll go with the two tight ends, Grunk and Hernandez. Like the Patriots constantly reinvented themselves. Can Kansas City do that, folks? I don't know.

And this weekend's game against Buffalo, they are underdogs. I'm on the Chiefs, but folks, the warning signs are there. If Andy Reid walks away, all of a sudden, AFC wide open for the next five or six years. I want to pivot to the Baltimore Ravens. And my guy, Lamar Jackson, Lamar Jackson's been unbelievable this season. Not quite as consistent as you like. He's going to win the MVP.

But a lot of that's because they're the best team in the league. Record-wise, the defense has been incredible. But you start to look closely at Lamar Jackson. You're like, hmm, they have five games under 200 yards passing. Not great. Not ideal. But nevertheless, we got Lamar. We're rested.

We're facing a Houston team that we're probably going to crush them, right? Nine and a half point favorites. I like the Ravens more than any other side this weekend. I took them in the first half. I think they roll here. They've got a defensive coordinator and Mike McDonald, man. That guy shut down two Shanahan tree offenses, the Dolphins and Shanahan and the 49ers. What do you think he's going to do with Slowick, another Shanahan disciple, this weekend?

Ultimore's going to be fine, right? and you get to Lamar's playoff history. And you kind of have to do this. You have to dig in and say, oh, Lamar 1 in three in the playoffs. We got some stats here that are not pretty. Look away, Ravens fans. It's a small sample size.

I get it. Regular seasons, what? Elementary math, 77 games versus four. But look at those numbers. Dropping your passer rating by almost 30 points. Now it is, small sample size. And you're like, all right, well, let's look into those games.

Yeah, you remember the Chargers game? His first playoff game. He started like half the season. Throw that out the window. Come on, forget it. They just faced the Chargers, I think the week prior or two weeks prior. They were ready. All right, well, what about Brock Purdy last year?

He was a rookie who started half the season, came in and slayed for two games. Like, okay, all right, fine, fine, fine. Let's go on a little more. The Tennessee game, when they were the first. number one seed. Lamar was the MVP of the NFL. What happened in that one? Oh, Lamar had 500 yards of offense. Jay, what's the, oh, two interceptions, including one on the first drive. And he had a fumble two. And in every high leverage play, fourth downs, Lamar kind of failed. I was like, oh, ooh. Okay, all right. Well, he did get the

playoff win the next time against Tennessee. Yeah, yeah, he did. And then he went to Buffalo. And I remember this game like it was yesterday, because I bet, Lamar Jackson in that one. And his close game, and you're inside the five-yard line, and Lamar made a really, really bad decision and throws a 100-yard pick six. Game over.

And it's like, okay. Huh, Lamar's had some playoffs struggles. Well, you know, he's a dual-threat guy. Ah, Cam, dual-threat quarterback. My guy, Mike Vic, who loves to come on the show. You start looking at the history of dual-threat quarterbacks in the playoffs.

Ooh, not ideal. Two dual threat quarterbacks have won Super Bowls in the last 40 years. Now, some people want to call Patrick Mahomes a dual threat. He's not, he's never out of 400-year rushing season, guys. Come on. Russell Wilson, that's a dual-threat quarterback. Steve Young, dual-threat quarterback. A lot of the others, if that's in postseason struggles,

is it because defenses are more ready? Do the running quarterbacks want to tuck and run at the first sign of trouble? I don't know. But then you start to look at the Ravens and you're like, well, they should cruise, Jay. You said you bet them. You're on them this weekend. Yeah, but I do kind of worry about Lamar Jackson in this game.

And I think it's understandable. I love the defensive coordinator and what they've got. I think they'll cook up some stuff to slow down Stroud. But you have to wonder, is there more pressure on any other quarterback in this postseason than Lamar Jackson? A lot of people want to say Josh Allen, which is fine. You know, Josh Allen basically put the bills on his back this season. and dragged that mass unit to the playoffs.

But I don't know. Look at Lamar. He's got great weapons. See, Flowers healthy. Mark Andrews's back. They should be fine, right? Right? Just got to wonder, those dual threat quarterbacks in the postseason, you know,

Lamar has one playoff win. Rock Purdy has two. Cam Newton. How many is? Oh, Cam has three. Three playoff wins in his career. We'll do Cam. I know Cam after me.

We'll do that a little later in the show. But I've got to wonder, Lamar Jackson, going to sleep before the game. Is he nervous? What's the mindset? He got paid, right? He's the number one seed, no pressure or all the pressure? I don't know, Alex. I'm a little bit nervous for my Ravens this weekend.

Lamar has felt so calm and relaxed this entire season. Even in talking after big wins, after big wins after the 49ers, it was like, this is just this is what we do. This is who we are. I'm not even thinking about that. I'm thinking about the next game. But this is a great matchup for a lot of reasons, as you mentioned. But you have the MVP favorite going against the rookie of the year favorite.

Two quarterbacks that are just having incredible seasons. Both great stories, incredible stories. So I'm leaning towards Lamar Jackson and the experience. Former MVP, like looking like he's going to be another one. So, yeah, this is going to be a good one. I'm a little nervous for Lamar. It's kicking off the weekend and it's going to be a great one. When you're the MVP of the league, all the eyes are right.

You're the MVP. Everything. All the pressure. Yeah. All the pressure. But you can't think about that. And that's what makes great players great. You don't let that overtake you in your mindset. I don't think the moment will be too big now.

We'll see about the AFC championship. If it's Mahomes or Allen versus Lamar, that'll be a great game. But you've got to get by the Texans. Yeah. All right. Coming up next here on the herd. Yes, Lamar Jackson. Yes, Patrick Mahomes.

But I'm going to get to the Cam Newton stuff. It's coming up after. the break, Cam's coming after me on social media. What are you going to do? Well, you're going to respond. We'll do that next here on The Herd. Got a great parlay for you this weekend. Thanks to Draft King Sportsbook, new users, please use the code Herd, when you download the app, which takes 90 seconds. So my parley pick of the week via Draft King Sportsbook. I'm going to take the Texans plus nine at the Ravens, a young Texans team playing with confidence. I don't necessarily think a couple of weeks.

helps the Ravens, I think Baltimore wins. I'll take the nine. I'm going to take the Lions minus six against the bucks. They're a better team. That Rams team they beat and controlled in the first half was arguably next to Baltimore, the hottest team in the league. Lions at home win by a touchdown. I'm going to take Bills minus three over the Chiefs. Kansas City this year is not Kansas City previous years. And I think Buffalo at home is going to score some points. If you want to take The Hurd Parlay, check out Draft King Sportsbook. New users, please use the code Hurd when you download the app. 21 plus in most eligible states, but age varies by jurisdiction.

Eligibility restrictions apply. Gambling problem, call 1-800 gambler. In New York, call 8778-8-Hope-N-Y or text Hope & Y 467369. See show notes for full details. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing.

human potential. Either way, the podcast's Superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the I-Hard radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care which I'm saying. Yep, that's me, Clipper Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, the reactions, my journey from basketball to college football or my career in sports media. Well, somewhere along the way, this platform became bigger than I ever imagined. And now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show.

This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations with some of your favorite athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. One week, I'll take you behind the scenes of the biggest moments in sports and entertainment, and the next we'll talk about life, mental health, purpose, and even music. The Clifford Show isn't just a podcast. It's a space for honest conversations, stories that don't always get told, and for people who are chasing something bigger.

So if you've ever supported me or you're just chasing down a dream, this is right what you need to be. Listen to The Clifford show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. Do you remember when Diana Ross

double-tap little Kim's boobs at the VMAs? Or when Kanye They said that George Bush didn't like black people. I know what you're thinking. What the hell does George Bush got to do a little camp? Well, you can find out on the Look Back at it podcast. I'm Sam Jett. And I'm Alex English.

Each episode, we pick it here, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it. Including a recent episode with Mark Lamont Hill, waxing all about crack in the 80s. To be clear, 84 was big to me, not just because of crack. I'm down to talk about crack on day, but just so you all know. I mean, at this point, this is the second episode where we've discussed correct. So I'm starting to see that there's a through line.

We also have AIDS on the table right now. Now you're finishing that sentence. Yes. I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Really? Yeah. For me, it's one of the most important years for black people in American history. Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Did you know Discover wants everyone to feel special? That's why with your Discover card. you have access to 24-7 customer service as well as $0 fraud liability. So means you're never held responsible for unauthorized purchases. Learn more at Discover.com slash credit card limitations apply. All right. Yeah, it's that time, ladies and gentlemen. So last time I was filling in for Colin, Colin will be back Monday.

He's got a big date tonight, I believe, or today. So last time I was filling in, Alex. and I, we were chopping up some Cam Newton takes. And Cam Newton just happened to go on his podcast and call Brock Purdy, Tua, Jared Gough, and Dak Prescott game managers. This was, I don't know, six weeks ago, whatever it was. At the time, you know, Brock Purdy was like the MVP leader, and Dak Prescott was up there. And I came on, you know, we had the morning meeting here with our great staff.

And I'm like, guys, you know, you know, Dak and Cam Newton kind of have. similar stats here, and then you start really looking at the numbers. And again, it didn't mean to denigrate Cam Newton. He's obviously a great quarterback. I loved him. He's a highlight real guy. But the numbers say, Dack has had a better career than Cam. Like, that's a fact.

You look at the numbers. So, of course, you know, a lot of people come after me for this. That's fine. But Cam Newton was silent. You know, Cam is a smart one. He waited, laying in the cut, waiting, waiting. Dack has a bad playoff game. and Cam's coming after my neck.

Here's Cam Newton on his podcast this week. Cam Newton, you had a worse career than Dak Prescott. They were able to pull up some stats. Let's just take a glance. So, Press Paul's right there. I was a dual threat quarterback. Add in rushing yards. Rushing touchdown.

Add in rushing touchdowns. Because who's number one as a quarterback? See, see, this is where they try to manipulate the narrative. And instead of speaking about what I said, they try to poke at the person. All right. Fair enough. Cam went on to like say some, I don't know, his research team needs some work there. Said I like flunked out of college.

I took a picture of my degree yesterday in case he wants to see it. At any rate. So our staff, you know, we got together. I said, okay, well, if you put the running totals with the passing, let's see what those numbers look like for the career. And we have them. So if you stack Cam versus DAC and you add the rushing yards, oh, wait a minute. So total yards per game.

So DAC still has him? I mean, the numbers don't lie. I mean, forget the passing. It's DAC. But when you add the yards per game rushing and passing, oh, look, Dak's on top. Still. Like, what are we doing, Cam? What am I missing here?

Like obviously, Cam Newton, dual threat quarterback, incredible talent. I was a huge fan. I know that sounds like, don't say that, Jay. You know, I don't have the style Cam does. He's got the, Alex, maybe we need to roll out with cigars and like the top hat and the bow tie, you know, for the presentation. But the numbers, they don't lie. And, oh, by the way, there's some more. So, yeah, and this is, again, you get in these, like squabbles and it ends up like you're a hater.

I'm not. But at the age of 30, you know, Cam had a rough year injury-wise, and he was done in Carolina. And by 32, he's out of the league. Dak just had his age 30 season. He looks like he's going to finish top two or three for MVP voting. The best season of his career. He's ascending.

At 30, the dual-threat quarterback, Cam was descending. Now, that's part of the problem of being a. running quarterback, right? You take it all these hits. You don't have the longevity that the pocket quarterbacks do. And you start to look and you're like, damn, okay, well, Dak hasn't had the postseason success yet. He's had three straight 12 win seasons. Jason, wins are not a quarterback sat. I get that. But at the same time, Cam never had back-to-back winning seasons. Never, not even after they went 15 to 1. Dak, three straight 12 win seasons. and I know you could say, well, he's got

CD Lamb, okay, okay. He's got Mike McCarthy, Tony Pollard, Mike apart, like, we're not doing that, okay? Like, go look at the loaded defense that Cam Newton had to win to the Super Bowl. And I'll wrap up on this. Some people, not me, like to do,

well, what's this person's defining moment of their career, right? You know, a guy like, take Patrick Mahomes, you've got a bunch of scrambles, Super Bowl heroics. You've got Tom Brady, the drive against the Falcons. I mean, Tom Brady's had so many Super Bowl drives.

And you go to Cam and you know, what's Cam? Well, you could go with the dab or jumping over the top in week six to beat the Saints. And a lot of people might say, if you want to be positive, you've got to go back to his college days when he won the Natty. In the NFL, it might be not jumping on a fumble in the school. Super Bowl when he could have, he could have dove on it. And that's a tough moment, kicking a guy when he's down. Well, Jay, what's Dax? It's a fair counter.

And I guess the answer would probably be, Dak still has six or seven years left to make that great memory. And Cam's in the clubhouse with his career over. Let's go to Alex with the news. No, no, no, no, no. Turn on the news. This is the herd line news. Well, let's switch it up a bit and talk to.

about some of the games we got going on this weekend. Baker Mayfield and the Bucks head to Detroit in the divisional round. Baker ended last season with the Rams, and his former teammates gave him a little insight into what the playoff atmosphere is going to be like at Ford Field. They said it was a loudest thing they've ever heard, so we've got to be completely ready for that. It just comes down to everybody knowing exactly what our game plan is,

all the calls to and from, because there could be certain times that they might not hear certain things. They might have to plug and play some of the, some of the words. So just everybody doing the mental work to get prepped for that. But it shouldn't be a surprise to us. It's going to be a great atmosphere. I mean, it makes sense it was as loud as it was. It was their first home playoff game since 1993. Fans have been waiting 30 years for that home playoff game. Now that they've tasted that victory, I can imagine that Sunday is probably going to be even louder. But if you look at the other side, look at Baker. He's bounced around,

right? The last couple of years, a handful of different teams. And it feels like he has now found his home. in Tampa. So both these sides have great stories with quarterbacks who were doubted and are kind of having this second life with their new teams. But I'm leaning on the lion's side. I'm going to support my best friend Cynthia

Freeland who is like a lifelong Lions fan. She's going to be out there this weekend. Lions are favored by six and a half. At home? Who are you taking this weekend? I think I'll probably lay it with the Lions. But I got to ask like, so last weekend, first home game since the Ice Age or whatever. everybody was all geek

Stafford coming back, the narratives. Is there a bit of a come down after that? And like how long, how many days did they celebrate after the win? Like Tuesday night, was you still Wednesday? Did you hear all the Dan Campbell speeches after? I mean, his whole thing was

Jared Gough, you're good enough for Detroit. Right? Through him the game ball. Like, you are good enough for Detroit. Take the night off. We're all coming back here and we're watching the game tomorrow. So you can tell he has brought this team and motivated this team, like, we're not done yet. I honestly think that ridiculous rough call lost to the Cowboys kind of lit a new flame under them.

I don't think you have anything to worry about with the Lions. I don't think there will be a win hangover. These guys are hungry. They've been doubted the last however many years that Goff has been there and Campbell has been there. Like, this is a solid team that has one thing on their mind. Just can everybody show up? Can everybody say healthy?

Two great quarterback stories, golf, obviously. Yeah. But Bakers might be better? It's tough. What is this? His fourth team? Browns, Panthers, Rams,

Tampa. It was almost like he was a bus. I think if he didn't have this season that he had with Tampa this year, he might have been put in that he was a bust, but he's really proving and showing that with the right pieces, with the right team,

with the right coaching staff, he can be a great player and bring the team to the playoffs. So I'm happy for Baker. Yeah. Happy for Baker. All right. Let's move on. Following the Eagles' horrible end to the season and premature exit from the playoffs,

Nick Siriani's seat has never been hotter. And Sirianney is set to meet with ownership at some point this week. But some players aren't pleased with the questions about his future, including Fletcher Cox. Have you, you know, gotten any win in what's going to happen on that you have confidence? and if you do come back, that confidence in him if he's also that. Like, any news about, what about Nick?

Nick, I mean, there's obviously some speculation about whether he made me fire trial. Huh? Yeah. Come on, man. Man, he had football coach of this team, man. Come on, man. We ain't, man, there ain't any discussion about that.

Okay, okay, you don't think it's going to happen. I don't know. I don't got to sit about that. You're a clown, bro. Get out of the face, man. As someone who was a reporter for 10 years in the field, it's not easy to ask these uncomfortable, awkward questions sometimes, but this had to be asked, right? This has been a hot topic.

This has been in the media circulating that if they did exit, he would be on the hot seat. And as a player and a coach, you know you're going to get these tough questions, right? You have the ability to answer it in a way where you deflect and you just say, yeah, no, not going to answer that. You don't need to be mean. The reporters are doing his job as well. We saw this with Mike Tomlin last weekend when he was asked about his contract, and he just walked out of the presser. I mean, he is the most, one of the most seasoned coaches. You know these questions are coming.

Obviously, it's never the right time to ask these. This is a reporter never knows when they're going to be able to ask you these questions again. And so it has to happen. It's tough, but you can respond players and coaches as part of the business. You can respond in a different way. I wonder, you know, this. This reporter, did he get this question from social media, Alex? Was this like a, hey, people on Instagram and TikTok and Twitter are saying, we got to fire Siriani?

Or is there credibility behind this? Because I mean, I went to the Super Bowl last year. I know, but I've heard it. I've heard it on the sports talk shows on TV this whole week. Like, it has been talked about, right? I mean, even Colin kind of mentioned that. that if he lost, he could be on the hot seat. I mean, you guys have to talk about it on the show.

So that's our job. It's not random. It's not coming out of nowhere. This has been a conversation. So I guess it's our job to be interesting and stir the pot and, you know, create. You've got to ask all the questions. But from that guy's point of view in the locker, he's like, we just went to the Super Bowl. We won 11 games.

What are you talking? Like, I can understand where he's coming from a little bit. Yeah. But at the same time, you're right. You have to ask the question. Anderson has been reporting a bunch of stuff. Yeah. I, you know, the owners like meeting with coordinators, like, there is some smoking.

Seriani's meeting with ownership. Yeah. I mean, the the report was, ownership wants to hear his game plan moving forward. So nothing's set in stone, obviously, but you've got to keep, again, there are some great legendary coaches available this season. It also just shows you how tough it is to be a head coach in the national football league.

You have, the entire time you've been there, you've had winning seasons. You've gotten to the Super Bowl. And now you're in question that you might get let go. Like, it's brutal. It's cutthroat. But it's also part of the business. I mean, listen, from my point, I'm not on social media here during the show, but I'm just waiting on the screen.

Nick Siria. I'm waiting for them to type. Nick Sirianni just got canned. So you think it's going to happen? I don't know. I mean. Which is like why you have to ask the question as a reporter. If there's even a thought, you're not doing your job if you don't ask it.

Yeah. You have to do it. Last one here. Kurt Cousins is set to hit free agency in March, and although he's coming off of Torn Achilles, he will be one of the better veteran quarterbacks available on the market. Cousins could return to the Vikings,

but if he doesn't, he would love to play for none other than Bill Belichick, saying, I'm not going to turn down an opportunity to play with a future Hall of Fame coach. If you go to that many Super Bowls, win that many Super Bowls, go to that many conference championships, have the defensive production that he's had for years and years,

it says it all. And he's not lying there. I actually, when you think about it, it could be a good fit. Cousins has that kind of crazy work ethic and dedication. We saw it in the quarterback TV series on Netflix. Just hearing this right now, he has that mad respect for Bill Belichick,

which I think is important for Bill and for the relationship with Bill and his quarterback to work. And then for Bill, you're getting a veteran who's consistent. He might not elevate the team in a way that a new young, flashy quarterback can, but you know what you're going to get and you know that it's consistency. Do you think it could work? Smart. I think it's a really smart take from Cousins.

Oh, how could I turn that? Well, guess what, Minnesota? If you want me to come back, I got Belichick who's interested. My price just went up. Some guy, a reporter tried to bet me that Cousins would get $45 million a year. And I'm like, how? Cousins agent and contract luck. is just study it.

That guy's made a lot of money. Study it. Upcoming, like, agents in the world. Like, this is what you want to do. Like, it is absolutely incredible what he's been able to get with results. Yeah. Belichick gets him? Yeah.

I mean, Belichick hasn't had a quarterback since Brady left. Sorry, Cam Newton. Sorry, Mac Jones. No. Cousins is better than both of them. It's consistency. Yeah. And you got the weapons.

Cousins brings consistency. And he's a great veteran. Again, I think that that quarterback TV show really gave us an inside look of Kirk Cousins, the dedication, the love, the respect that he has from his teammates, and just how he literally gives 110% everything is about what he does to better whatever team he's on. Yeah, Atlanta as a city, have you been to Atlanta, obviously. Oh, yeah, cousins. I have cousins in Atlanta. Really fun city. I think of, you think of, like, you know, Pittsburgh Steelers, tough, blue collar gruff, right? When I say Atlanta Falcons, you think... Fun. Fun. There's a lot.

There's a lot going on in Atlanta. passing, indoors. Yeah. Not, I don't want to be mean, but soft, right? They're like a passing team. Oh, you're talking about the city. Like the identity of, well, I'm thinking. Got it.

Sometimes the team takes on the identity of the city. It does. Right? Yeah. And I just, the Belichick, that's why I'm having a hard time with Belichick in Atlanta. Because I think Belichick, I think, tough rules. Yeah. Structured.

Right. Structured. But it's new beginnings. And it's, you're going to have to have to. adapt the culture of what I you're bringing your culture that's what Bill brings right he brings the ultimate culture he is the greatest of all time the greatest offensive coach of all time probably yeah in our time so it's just like the stuff he did with uh with James white made James White like a freaking super what's he gonna do with Bijan Robinson I mean look what he did

with Grunk nobody at Gromk being a Hall of Famer coming out of college Kyle Pitts can he reinvigorate his career like there's a major potential for it is the same way Brady went to the Super Bowl Uh-huh. I mean, Atlanta, they underachieve woefully this year. You got Belichick and cousins? That's what I'm saying. There's something there.

It feels like it could work. It'd be a great fit. Yeah. All right, Alex, with the news. Well, that's the news. And thanks for stopping by. The Herd Lie News. So Nick Siriani's job status, what the heck's going on?

And could Andy Reid actually step down from the chiefs? Albert Breer tells us next, When your business reaches a certain scale, challenges begin to surface. You deserve a tailored solution, and that's NetSuite. Learn more when you download NetSuite's popular KPI checklist absolutely free. At netsew.com slash herd, that's netsuite.com slash 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, what's up, everybody? It's me, three-time Pro Bowl of LaVarrington, and I

Couldn't be more excited to announce a podcast called Up On Game. What is Up On Game, you ask? Along with my fellow Pro Bowler, T.J. Hushmanzada and Super Bowl champion. Yep, that's right. Plexico Burris. You can only name a show with that type of talent on it. Up on Game. We're going to be sharing our real-life experiences loaded with teachable moments.

Listen to Up On Game with me, LaVar Arrington, T.J. Hushman Zada, and Plexico Burris on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast from. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal, but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential.

Either way, the podcast's superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the I-Hard radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win is a win.

I don't care which I'll say it. Yep, that's me, Cliver Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, the reactions, my journey from basketball to college football, or my career in sports media. Well, somewhere along the way, this platform became bigger than I ever imagined. And now I'm bringing all of that excitement

to my brand new podcast, the Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations with some of your favorite athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. One week, I'll take you behind the scenes of the biggest moments in sports and entertainment, and the next we'll talk about life, mental health, purpose, and even music. The Clifford Show isn't just a podcast, it's a space for honest conversations, stories that don't always get told, and for people who are chasing something bigger.

So, if you've ever supported me, or you're just chasing down a dream, this is right where you need to be. Listen to The Clifford show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. Do you remember when Diana Ross double-tap Little Kim's boobs at the VMAs?

Or when Kanye said that George Bush didn't like black people. I know what you're thinking. What the hell does George Bush got to do with Little Kim? Well, you can find out on the Look Back at it podcast. I'm Sam Jek. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick it here, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it. Including a recent episode with Mark Lamont Hill, waxing all about crack in the 80s.

To be clear, 84 is big to me, not just because of crack. I'm down to talk about crack all day, but just so y'all know. I mean, at this point, Mark, this is the second episode where we've discussed crack. So I'm starting to see that there's a through line. We also have AIDS on the table right now. Thank you for finishing that sentence. Yes. I don't think there's a more important year for black people.

Really? Yeah. For me, it's one of the most important years for black people in American history. Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Back here on the heard, Jason McIntyre and Alex Curry in for Colin. Without further ado, let's welcome in. Albert Breer. Everybody knows him, senior NFL reporter, lead content strategist at the MMQB.

Mr. Breer, boy, big rumor floated by a guy we both know, Mike Florio, that Andy Reed could be stepping down. Now, we have heard this once before. Your thoughts on Mr. Reed possibly leaving and departing the Chiefs? Yeah, I've always gotten the sense like this time of year when this comes up that, like, it's something we probably will have to wait until a week or two after they're done to truly get answered. At his age is something that's been considered. and, you know, obviously he and his family have been through a lot the last few years. So, you know, my feeling is it's more likely than not that he's back coaching the Chiefs again in 2024. But, like, in recent years, it has been more of a year-to-year thing.

And I think that's part of the reason why, you know, they brought Matt Nagy back as a potential successor to him. Nagy, of course, has got a great relationship with Mahomes. He played college football with their general manager, Brett Beech. And he's got great history in the organization. So, you know, I think Nagy would probably get the first swing at replacing Reed if it did come to that. And the fact that there is, you know, I think a quasi, not an official, but a quasi, like, succession plan there. Leads you to believe, like, leads you to believe that it could be something that could happen. But again, like, I just, I feel like with the quarterback in place, with the core that they've got in place, I still think it's more likely than not that he's back in 2024.

Yeah, this naggy stuff's interesting. Mahomes has had the worst year of his career by a mile. We can't just blame the drops. Kelsey's getting up there in age. Yeah. Go ahead. I mean, this is a different set of circumstances, like Jay Mack. Like, I think if you look at it, right?

Like, so last year he loses Tyree Kill. I don't think Travis Kelsey's been the same, you know? And so last year, people said they didn't have a number one, but they did. Their number one was Travis Kelsey. And now Travis Kelsey this year hasn't been what Travis Kelsey had been. over the first 10 years of his career. And so now do you have a number one out there? And because you don't have number one,

are you asking more of a rookie in Rashi Rice? And you have two new tackles. And how is that working out with Donovan Smith and Jamal Taylor? Like that whole, like all the infrastructure has changed defensively this year. And so I think it would be tough to hang a lot of what's happened this year on offense. It's just the dynamic of the team has changed quite. a bit because you know the roster has changed and again you've got such a key piece in Travis Kelsey getting a year older and maybe taking a step back as a player. Big step back.

Let's quickly go to Nick Siriani in Philadelphia. It's a similar situation to what happened with Doug Peterson a few years ago but Peterson of course won the Super Bowl. I don't know man. Listen if you're looking for a Friday news dump Breer are we going to see Sirianney getting the accent like you know 4.59 p.m. Easter standard time today? Yeah. I like I again, like I think this is sort of up in the air because just because of the way that it went the last time around, if you remember, like they waited a week until after the 2020 season concluded to cut ties with Doug Peterson. And part of that was you had this, you know, week period where they were going through their plans for the future and kind of setting things up to meet with Jeffrey Lurie and talk about where things were going. And, you know, eventually what wound up happening was that, you know, Lurie wanted some.

staff changes and Doug Peterson was very loyal to his staff and you know like that led to the conclusion that that was it for them and I think that's part of why you hear about Nick Siriani and Howie Roseman looking at different plans over the course of the last few days they were setting up for meeting with Jeffrey Lurie. So you know do I think it's over for Nick Sirianney? No I don't think it's over for Nick Siriani but until he comes out of that meeting and they come out of that meeting with a concrete plan for next year, I think you never say never. The interesting name out there is Mike Vrable, who was a very underrated coach in Tennessee. I thought maybe, you know, he did end his career in Kansas City.

If Reed steps down, does Vrable slide in? We haven't heard much on the Vrable front. What are you hearing like we hear Jim Harbaugh's interview, Bill Belichick's interview, a million assistants have interviewed. Vrable kind of laying low. What's going on? Well, I think a couple of teams that have interest in him, He might be number two.

You know, with the Chargers, he's interviewed with them. You know, obviously the focus there has been on Jim Harbaugh. With the Falcons, you know, I think there would be an interest there, but, you know, obviously they're now bringing Bill Belichick in for a second interview. You know, then he started to sort through the other teams, and it becomes a little bit more difficult to find a home for him. And so could that be Washington? You know, the general manager there, Adam Peters was a young scout when Brable was a player in New England.

and Peters himself said in his opening press conference, I'm not looking for offense or defense. I'm looking for a leader. So somebody like Vrable would make sense. I think Vrable would make sense for Philly if they were going to make a change. But those two scenarios are not certainties. So it's just sort of interesting

because I think Vrable is, if not the top candidate out there, among the top two or three candidates out there. And he's got now six years of experience as a head coach that he can bring to the table. It's just like, is the match out there? And I'm not sure right now that it is. Is safe to say Dan Quinn probably ticketed for Seattle? Or do you think there could be a surprise guy there?

That was another one that I was going to bring up with Rable, because I do think that there would be a match there with Rable and the general manager, John Schneider, in Seattle. But, you know, I do think the Seahawks' first swing would be on Dan Quinn. They like the environment, the culture is very unique. what they've been able to build over the last 14 years under Pete Carroll. And I think, you know, you go back a couple of years when Jody, Jody Allen first thought about doing this, first thought about separating from Pete Carroll,

I think it was specific to kind of wanting to turn the page and looking at the idea of turning the page. Then they come back a year later after she makes the decision to stick with them. They make the playoffs. And now they've got a really good young core. And I don't think like any of it was that the environment in the building was rotten or anything like that. It was just, I think the owner wanted to make a leadership change. So if you want to make a leadership change, but you like the environment you have, you like

the young core you have, you don't want to flip the apple card upside down, I think Dan Quinn can maintain a lot of the stuff that Pete Carroll built there over the last 14 years because he was there for some of the pivotal years, including the year they won the championship and the other year that they went to the Super Bowl while modernizing a lot of things within the operation. So I still think Dan Quinn's the guy there. And again, this might be a other one where you look at Vrabel and say, would he be number two? That's sort of the problem that Mike's facing here. Oh, rough. In Atlanta, everybody seems to have Belichick as very, very close to the guy. I'm going to make it a next level conversation brier. What quarterback is he bringing? Because he's not

going there with Taylor Heineke and Desmond Ritter. He's got to go get a guy. Yeah, I wouldn't be right. I wouldn't be surprised if he takes multiple, like, looks at it. You know, like, honestly, I think this could be a situation where if Bill lands there, you could see a veteran and a rookie, right? Like, do they sign Kirk Cousins and then draft J.J. McCarthy? It wouldn't surprise me if you see that sort of scenario. And the interesting thing about it is that, you know, Terry Fontano and Arthur Smith built the team up over the last three years to the point where you've got the freedom to do that. Their offensive line is really solid. There are a couple of very well-paid guys there in Caleb McGarry and Chris Lindstrom and Jake Matthews. They've got the top 10 picks, the three top

10 picks at the skill positions in Drake London, Kyle Pitts, and B. John Robinson, and then they've got a good, balanced young defense. So because the roster is in the state that it's in, you can take multiple swings at quarterback now. And it wouldn't surprise me if Phil does wind up being the guy there if he does, you know, take two swings at getting the quarterback position, right? Because it does feel like right now they're about a quarterback away from being a real contender. I think all of that jobs with what Bill would want, you know, and going to a place. I think the bigger question, what Bill right now is whether or not the infrastructure there. The front office, the way the organization is set up, if that matches with what he wants.

But, you know, if that's there, I think the team is one he'd really like. All right. Last one, Breer, you're an Ohio State guy. I've got Bill O'Brien had a rough, rough year with the Patriots and Mack Jones. There was the chatter about him and Jalen Milro at Alabama that wasn't great. Milro kind of crushed him. As an Ohio State guy, you feel good about Bill O'Brien or not really? Yeah.

No, I do. I do. I mean, I think this is a move by Ryan Day to delegate, you know, a little bit and step back from being the offensive play caller and bring in an NFL guy to call it for him. And to put more into the development of the quarterback, obviously Bill O'Brien's got a lot of experience, working that position, developing guys like Deshaun Watson at the pro level and Bryce Young at the collegiate level. So he's got good history there. you know and I think you know as much as anything else you know I think that there's an idea that they can kind of bring an element of toughness to the table by giving Ryan Day the freedom to be more of a walk-around coach and oversee the whole thing and then bringing in Bill O'Brien to instill O'Brien to instill that in the offense you know again like I just I look at how much they've invested in bringing so many guys back like I think it's eight seven or eight guys who would have gotten the top 100 of the draft that are coming back to school now and I think this is

another move made with that sort of urgency in mind that, like, they feel like they've been close the last few years and something like this can put them over the top. And I think for O'Brien himself, J-Mac, like, this is more, I think, sort of taking a step back from where he's been the last couple of years and resetting a little bit. He would have been in the mix to be the coordinator in New England, but Gerard Mayo was committed to conducting a wide-open surge. And I think at this point, after the way last year went, it was, you know, I think really the idea here for Bill O'Brien was that it's a better idea to turn the page than it is to go into some sort of open competition for the job that he already had.

All right, Albert Breer, MMQB. Good stuff, Albert. Enjoy the games this weekend, buddy. All right, thanks, Jay Mack. All right, coming up next, I will rank the quarterbacks in the divisional round just based on this season, okay, this season. So when you see the list, don't freak out, folks. Another podcast from some SNL late-night comedy guy, not quite.

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

or wherever you get your podcasts. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's Superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds.

I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the I-Hard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what I'm saying. Yep, that's me, Cliford Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, my basketball and college football journey,

or my career in sports media. Well, now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Cliford Show. This is a place for raw, unfills of conversations with athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. So let's get to it. Listen to The Cliford Show on the IHeard Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network,

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