The Herd with Colin Cowherd - Hour 2 - Some NFL lists are a joke

Episode Date: August 6, 2024

Nick Wright from First Things First joins the show to tell Colin why it's absurd Patrick Mahomes wasn't the #1 players on the NFL Network's roster of top players in the leaguer voted on by players Thoughts on the future of Niners WR Brandon AiyukSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is an I-Heart podcast. Guaranteed Human. 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 IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, this is Robert from the Stuff to Blow Your Mind podcast. Joe and I are both lifelong Star Wars fan, so we're celebrating May the 4th with a brand new week of fun, thought-provoking Star Wars-related episodes.

Join us as we tackle science and culture topics from a galaxy far, far away, such as the biology of Tontons and Wampas on the ice planet hot, or the practicality and corporate business sense of the Sith rule. of two. Listen to Stuff to Blow Your Mind on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. On the Look Back at it podcast. From 1979, that was a big moment for me.

84 was big to me. I'm Sam Jay. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick a year, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it with our friends, fellow comedians, and favorite authors. Like Mark Lamont Hill on the 80s. 84 was a wild year. It was a wild year.

I don't think there's a more important year for Black. people. Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Thanks for listening to The Heard podcast. 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 SportsRadio.com or stream us live every day on the

iHeart Radio app by searching Fox Sports Radio or FSR. For listening to Fox Sports Radio. Oh, here we go. Hour 2. Live in Los Angeles on a Tuesday, it's the Hurt. Wherever you may be and however you may be listening, thanks for making us part of your day. I did not watch the Dodgers Phillies last night.

J. Mack did. O'Tonnie was on fire. Mookie Betts still not playing. And I watched Charlie Trotter was a legendary Chicago restaurateur. My wife was in that business in Chicago, told me to watch it on Netflix last night. It was spectacular. Very sad ending to a remarkable life.

So I didn't watch baseball last night. I did Olympics into a Netflix show. I'm going to watch it baseball tonight. What are you trying to get in a Chicago mindset heading into the weekend? No. I'm going to Chicago this weekend. Oh, wow.

So my wife is very much, her dad was in the restaurant business in Chicago, and she worked at Butch McIre's legendary place. So every time we go to Chicago, she'll be like, oh, I went there, there, there. And so Charlie Trotter was, for a while, he was like Wolfgang Puck before Wolfgang Puck. He was our great American chef.

And it used to be the best restaurants were all in like Paris, somewhere in France, Marseille, whatever. And then Charlie Trotter in Chicago. So I watched that. It was great. But I, in the Olympics, which it is amazing how much I love, not only the events I don't care about, but are Olympians. We have such great kids out there. Oh, easy to root for. I mean, the women are so smart, so supportive.

Like, it just don't buy into the hate everywhere. Like, it is amazing to watch these athletes support each other. NBC has done a tremendous job. Great storytelling. But I'm just sitting there watching last night, I'm like, this is the best of us. Those athletes are just great kids, hardworking. They've committed for years. The storylines.

And it's so great. I find myself in the swim meets, when the parents. Oh, yeah. It doesn't matter if it's a marriage. American parents or Canadian parents. Whatever it is, the parents rooting their kids on. You get so sucked into it. Hey, by the way, in Chicago this weekend, you should check out the White Sox.

I hear they're one of the hottest teams in baseball. They've lost like 21 games in a row. It's the air show in Chicago. That's it. That's why the White Sox stink. You know, I was thinking about this, though. I'll hold this for later. I want to get to Nick Wright.

I'm going to hold this for later. So Nick, I didn't get to see it, but I walked by a TV yesterday. And Nick was having a borderline tantrum with Mahomes being rated fourth on the NFL Top 100. He was livid. He was

using magnets, refrigerator magnets or something. Let's go to Nick right now. He's joining us live. He was very worked up. All I know is you were standing, you were yelling, there were things being moved. You look like that political guy on MSNB

You were moving stuff everywhere. So I want to throw this out. There's a lot going on. Oh, I was like Kornacki. Oh, I'll take that. I don't know if you're talking Jim Kramer. I won't take that. No, Cornacky.

I'll take that proudly. Yeah, I just need the khaki pants. Listen, it's an outrage and it's an insult, and it's further evidence as to why, honestly, I should be the only person entrusted to make any type of sports list. We can't trust the media. We can't trust the players. I saw, you know, we have colleagues stealing my pyramid and putting Aaron Rogers at the top.

You did a tiers, which I respected. However, you had Mahomes and Josh Allen on the same tier. It should just be left to me. Like, it's a heavy burden, but one that I will carry proudly and with the dignity it deserves. And people tried to justify it. Like, well, the voting took place in December. Oh, so the voting for the best football player, took place while Patrick Mahomes was the defending league MVP, the defending Super Bowl MVP, and the defending Super Bowl champion. And he came in fourth. He wasn't even voted the best quarterback. Like if the players wanted to get kind of hipstery and be like Miles Garrett's impact on the game and he's a real football player and Christian McCaffrey, Tyree kill fine.

But to have another quarterback in front of Mahomes is an embarrassment. and it undercuts the credibility of the entirety of the list. And the list was scattershot to begin with, having Duran Bland ahead of Sauce Gardner, I would imagine that rightfully enraged J. Mack. Having Aaron Rogers is on the list, and our guy, Baker Mayfield, is off the list. Give me a break. If you will watch football last year, come on. There are a lot of problems, but none bigger than Patrick Mahomes coming in number four.

And sadly, for the NFL. and this is why it matters, Colin. The Chiefs now simultaneously can be the two-time defending champions in the midst of a dynasty with the most talented player

we've ever seen and underrated, disrespected nobody believes in us. That's right. And people can say, Nick, you're making that up. Four of the last

five playoff games Patrick Mahomes has started, he's been the Vegas underdard. dog and now the list is saying the Niners have nine players in the top 100. The Cowboys have a half dozen. The Chiefs have three, only one player on their defense, which was dominant, and don't even have the best quarterback in their own conference. Okay, let's see how that works for the whole league over the next six months. Yeah, it's actually, it runs the same course

that the Patriots did where Brady was called a system quarterback while collecting rings. and they were always called less talented than the Ravens. And so I do think in the NBA, we tend to anoint in the media before they deserve it. And in the NFL, we're more critical and cynical after you deserve it. And I think part of that is the NFL media is tougher. The NBA media, because it doesn't want to lose access to its four or five big agents or stars, tends to annoy J. Jah Morant. You know, he's a kid.

He's like a poor shooting guard. And I'm not just blaming the media, but I think there is a reason for it, and I think a lot of it is based on you get a lot more love as a basketball star in our country early, probably earlier than you deserve, and you get chopped at constantly, even if you're a champion. That's how it feels to me. Well, I also think there is an urge to move on to the next thing. Yeah. And even though we're, Mahomes is 28 years old, I mean, my pal Mike Floreo wrote an article a few weeks ago saying, this is really what the article said. Mahomes is 28, which means he turns 29 in September, which means 30 is around the corner. So how much longer is he going to play? And with respect to my pal, Mike Floreo, I don't think anybody's worried about Patrick Mahomes retiring. And yes, I do appreciate him explaining how the. passage of time and aging works for people who didn't know it. But there whether it was, post-13 seconds game, the American media had kind of decided,

because Mahomes after that game lost to Burrow, Josh Allen's the guy. And then Allen didn't have the year they expected. So it's like, okay, Boroughhead, Joe Burrow, he's going to be the guy. And then they lost to Patrick. And then last year, it was like, okay, the chiefs are a wounded animal. They lost to the Raiders. They can't win. and then despite that, them winning the Super Bowl and going on the road and being underdogs in the last three games,

I think people are tired of the Chief's inevitability, but we're just in the middle of it. It's not the last years of Tom and the Patriots. We are still in really the end of the first act of this play, so the urgency to move off it, I think, is foolish. So it's interesting. I want to talk about a team in the Chiefs Division. So I tend to be, I was joking earlier, that in gymnastics, I still don't understand the scoring system. I mean, it's all subjective, but in sports, basketball, football, baseball, I get box scores and first down markers. And there's certain definitive answers. So I tend to be when it comes to those sports that I grew up with, like, well, this is proven.

I've seen it. So with Jim Harbaugh, San Diego College, boom, works instantly. Stanford was the worst program in the country. O and 12 at one point when he took him over or something like that. Within two years, good, three years, excellent. San Francisco overnight. Michigan, five wins to ten, overnight. I have proof.

And in none of them is he had a great receiving course. Strangely, they're all built the same way, but we, we love teams with fancy fast receivers. The Chiefs are better, frankly, without Tyreek Hill. It's a fact. The Cowboys won more. Des Bryant Lee. Dex better actually.

So my take is, I've seen this. He had one receiver at Michigan and won a national title. They didn't throw the ball. They're going to be excellent because he drafted offensive tackles, got a bunch of running backs. Why are we doubting

they're going to be great really fast? Well, so there's to be two flies. I agree with your premise, and I do think Harbaugh is a proven, outstanding, coach. And I understand that some people wanted them to take neighbors at five because they already have the left tackle taken care of. I do get the logic of being like, how about we just simply

don't have to worry about our tackle position, either one for the next 10 years with Slater and Alt and it's the type of team you want to be? I get that. I don't think that's bad logic. So I understand that. The first concern is the planar fasciitis or planter fascia injury for Herbert is always ominous and for people that understand this better than me is say, you know, that can linger. So that's a minor concern. But the other issue he's going to have is Colin. I think you alluded to it in his career.

In his last three stops, what's the only one he didn't compete for a championship in? Because he competed for it with San Francisco. He won it with Michigan. The answer is Stanford. And why? Because they were not as great as they were. They were never consistently the best in their own conference. Well, the Chargers are not going to be the best team in their own division. And I see you on all your media outlets flirting with this idea of the Chargers winning the AFC West because you so, you so badly want to do the thing we just talked about, which is move on past the Chiefs. I think the tough put is, are the Chargers and Justin Herbert ever actually going to,

not, you shouldn't say ever, but in the next five years and the next six years, going to be better than the Chiefs with Patrick Mahomes? That I have real reservations about. Can the Chargers be a playoff team? Absolutely. Can Harbaugh instantly turn them from a five-win team into a double-digit win team? If Herbert's healthy, I think that can happen. but I think it's very, very difficult to make the Super Bowl

if every playoff game's on the road, and if you don't win your own division, every playoff game's going to be on the road, and that part to me is the toughest thing for Harbaughal to get over. So I think, let's talk Olympic basketball in Joel Ambide. So I think you can explain Steph Curry struggling, his age, he struggled at the end of last year, the FIBA rules, games are shorter, you don't get the touches, he's out of rhythm, he's a rhythm volume shooter. Embedes different.

So in Philadelphia, the front office is terrified to criticize him, and because he's a great quote and a funny guy, the media loves him. And we blame Ben Simmons for everything wrong with the Sixers. I mean, you could blame him for climate change, all right? James Harden similarly. Easy guy to blame, marginalized. But this has been different. This is now Embed at the Olympics, and he is in the way. He doesn't elevate others.

and it's got an Aaron Rogers feel where you could always blame the Packers Conservative front office and then Jordan Love shows up and immediately by November you're like I think he's actually better let's stop the Aaron Rogers Tom Brady arguments it's not close

he's just prettier than Tom as a thrower of the football and we talk about Embed in Yokic and Yonis no no he's not athletic like Janus he doesn't elevate others like Yokuch he doesn't defend like A.D can we just acknowledge the Olympics have been an awakening. We have to take him out of that group.

We often say runs the league. So listen, that's the, I think everything you said there, unfortunately, is fair. Because I have been an imbid fan. I have picked the Sixers a couple times to make the NBA finals. You know, I admit my, you know, if I have biases, I admit them. I think their GM, in addition to being a pal of mine, I think is one of the sharpest, savviest minds in basketball. So I root for, I root for Daryl, I root for the Sixers to a degree.

But all those critiques, I feel, have been crystallized in this Olympic run. Yes. Which is he isn't in great shape. Now, part of that is, you know, circular, which is he gets hurt, so he can't be, you know, he can't do the conditioning he needs to do. So then he's out of shape, but then that leads to more injuries. And so you wonder, is that ever going to get fixed? I thought some of the quotes he gave were really unfortunate.

The stuff he said about, you know, LeBron and Durant and those guys, it's like, those are your teammates for these few weeks. That to me is odd. And the fact that when they put this Olympic team together, Embed, obviously, not born in the States, and then theoretically he was going to play for France, and then we ended up getting him. It was a huge coup.

It was supposed to be the cheat code for this Olympic team that we're going to have the size, the rebounding, the defense to compete with anybody when we weren't necessarily going to have that on this roster without him. And instead, he's been one of the least reliable, worst players on the team. And it is, to me, I think people, and folks can roll their eyes at me,

when I say this, but I just think the data, the facts are out there from watching the games. Prematurely dis-downgraded LeBron in his stature in the league because they're like, he's in year 20. He's in year 21. He's almost 40 years old. And when LeBron is healthy, we're seeing it right now. He's still one of the five best players alive. And I think they prematurely upgraded in Bede without a single great playoff run, which we've asked for from every, star ever, even if you don't win the championship, just a great start to finish playoff run because he is such a dominant regular season player. But the fact that the team is flatly better without him playing in these Olympics is a really tough argument to pull against if you still

want to say he's one of the four best players in the world. Finally, I think, I said this earlier this week. Jerry Jones, owner of the Cowboys, is not terrified of never winning another Super Bowl. He's got three. He's terrified of irrelevance. And Dak Prescott

makes you relevant. And Dak's going to get his money. It's a weak college quarterback class. I've already had two executives in the league tell me they are interested in Dak. He's going to get his money. That's my take. Is

Jerry is, you know, as predictable as, you know, the morning son is that he drafted him. He found him. I mean, during the anthem controversies, Dack was there. He's great at the podium. He keeps you relevant. I think Dax's going to get $65 million. You think I'm nuts, don't you? So 60, that part's correct.

No, I don't, here's the thing. I totally agree with your first point. And if I can, I'm going to steal a line from a mutual friend of ours, Kevin Clark. And congrats to Kevin and his upward success and everything he's doing. He said on his podcast or on some outlet a couple weeks ago that if someone came to Jerry Jones and said, I guarantee you you win the Super Bowl this year. And all you have to give me is that you will never do a press conference again. He wouldn't take the trick.

And I was like, oh, I agree with that take. I think that is correct. that if Jerry's like guaranteed Genie rub on the crystal, I'm screwing this up. What do the genies come out of? A lamp. There you go. You have three. There it is.

I guarantee you win the Super Bowl, but you have to cancel your weekly radio hit and you never do a press count. If you're like, now I'll roll the dice. So I agree with that part of it. Where I disagree is this. If they were going to pay DAC, they'd have paid DAC. Had they paid DAC,

it would be easier to pay CD Lamb. They might have been more active in free agency. I think that they are terrified of being locked into a ceiling with Dak Prescott, and I think you're right about the money. Everyone that's saying, oh, my God, Dak could get $57, $58 million. That is not accurate. It is a minimum of $60. It is probably $65 million a year, and I don't think the Cowboys are going to pay it. Because if they were going to, they would have. So I think Dax's going to play out this year and then become a 31-year-old franchise quarterback with true free and clear free agency. And I've been saying it, I will keep saying it.

I really think Dak Prescott, Bill Belichick, package deal to the New York Giants a year from now is going to happen. And I think Bill gets to end where he started. I think the Giants get to rebrand entirely and steal the Cowboys quarterback. that gets something like three years, $200 million guaranteed, and that's where this thing ends up going. Yeah. Nick Wright, first things first. Your dress get, every time you come on.

I said very nice things, by the way, about you. I never brought the podcast on the show, but I said some very nice things about Colin Coward on what's right with Nick Wright today. If you want to check it out, you, I'll send you a clip, Colin. I don't know what came over me, but I said some very nice things about you. So I appreciate you.

I'll talk to it. All right, buddy, Nick Wright. So it's, and I, J. Mack, I've told you this. So much of everything is timing, right? Like, timing is, it doesn't matter what it is. Could be tech, could be politics, it's timing. DAC is very fortunate that it's not a great,

I mean, in this last quarterback draft, you had Caleb and Jaden, Beau, and Lenox, Pennix, and J.J. McCarthy and Drake May, a lot of teams were like, let's just, I mean, that's why it's surprising. everybody when Atlanta not only took Kirk Cousins but drafted a quarterback. A lot of people would have got it for Kurt Cousins, but a lot of these teams said, even Minnesota said, we're going to draft a quarterback. So next year's different. There's a kid at Georgia,

really good. After that, there's no dominant second quarterback. So, Dak, if he hits the market, what's Vegas going to do? What are the Giants going to do? I mean, what, I mean, seriously, it's not a big market. I would take the other side of that wager. I just don't see any going, hey, I think it's a better idea to pay DAC 60 million a year, chew up, you know, a fifth of our cap on a quarterback who's past 30, as opposed to start with a guy on a rookie deal. Maybe we hit the jackpot with a Brock Purdy. I mean, Patrick Mahomes went 10th.

Josh Allen went like seventh. Just because there's not elite quarterbacks now, does it mean in two months somebody won't emerge as a old? That's fair. This guy is spicy. No, that's fair. I want to see the kid Riley Leonard. Yeah, we'll see what happens with him.

He's really, really raw, Notre Dame now from, I think Duke. Yeah. I'm interested in that transfer. He's... I mean, there's always somebody who falls. Remember Spencer Rattler was the guy. He was going to win the high spin. And then he falls and now it's Caleb Williams comes out of nowhere.

So there's always somebody who comes out of nowhere and is a big time prospect. I just, I don't see that as a winning strategy paying DAC 60 million. One more herd? The herd streams 24 hours a day, seven days a week within the IHard Radio app. Search Herd to listen live or on demand. whenever you'd like. 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 podcast.

A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what I'm saying. Yep, that's me, Clifford 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 Clivert 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 Cliverts Show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or we're 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 J. 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 you 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 IHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Welcome to my new podcast, Learn the Hardway with me, your host, and your favorite therapist, Keer Games. And in recognition of mental health awareness month, I'm bringing over a decade of my own experience in the mental health field and conversations with so many incredible guests.

I'm talking. Trip Fontaine, Ryan Clark. Sometimes when we're in the pursuit of the thing, we get so wrapped up in the chase that we don't realize that we are in possession of the thing and we're still chasing it and we don't know when we've done enough. Because people scoreboard watch. Life becomes about wins and losses.

Steve Burns, Dustin Ross because you find it important to be a good person while you hear on earth or are you a good person because you're afraid? Because that's two different intentions, bro. Absolutely. And that's two different levels of trust. I want you to just really be a good person.

Join me, Kear Gaines, is we have real conversations about healing, growth, fatherhood, pressure, and purpose on my new podcast Learn the Hardway. Open your free Our Heart Radio app, search Learn the Hardway, and listen now. Hmm. Chris Sims last hour, interesting guest,

former Texas Longhorn. Jay Mack, some of those videos that come out from these camps, people get all worked up on these. Isn't Sims the guy who's tight with Kyle Shanahan? I think he is. They went to college together or something like that? Interesting.

Maybe he hasn't had some Brandon Ayukin to Well, the Brandon I. Intel changes every day. And there's multiple top reporters all over the story. I was told on Thursday from a source of a former player close to the Niners that Brandon is like telling, we're ready to go. And this is why this story is all over the map. And the Niners, I'll defend him to the end. They're like, we like him. He's not Justin Jefferson.

He's not Devante Adams. He's not Jamar Chase. We're not paying him that. Now, I think he's athletically in that class, but his production hasn't been to that. So I'm projecting what I think he could be. Short-term pain, right? Oh, my gosh, we lose Brennan Ayukal Pro, long-term gain. You don't have to deal with this nonsense and a massive contract.

For like you said, he's not, I'm sorry, he's not a top four receiver in the league. That's not a slight, right? Well, it's like he had a great season, but this organization has a DNA, and the DNA of the Niners is physicality. It's very much the Harbaugh game plan, which is even McVeigh likes that physicality more than people acknowledge to think he's clever and fancy. Now, he's rebuilt the O line, guard center guard last two years. He loves to run the ball. So whereas Lincoln Riley in L.A. is.

The dock on him is his teams are finesse. McVeys aren't. So Shanahan is very much the school of Harbaugh. Pound. Physicality. Both Shanahan and Harbaugh win without great receiving course. I mean, Debo is a classic Shanahan piece. He's the ultimate NFL chess piece.

That's perfect for Shanahan. Iyuk's an over-the-top receiver. If you're looking for a macro takeaway, 49ers, very tough negotiation with Iyuk, not rolling over for Trent Williams. Brock Purdy, you've been warned, okay, next summer. It's not going to be like, hey, we're just going to back up the brinks, and you look at Miami. What they do this summer?

Here, Tua, here's all the money. Tyreek, oh, you want a new deal? Sure, sure. Jalen Waddle, just handing out money. Niners, I like their process a lot more. Yeah, so Miami's not as well run as San Francisco. San Francisco's not bend in the knee for anybody, and they're sending constant messages.

Miami is just back up the Brinks truck, overpay this, this, this. And I said this yesterday. Kansas City is better since Tyreek left, because they could fortify their draft capital. They've hit on multiple defensive picks. Mahomes now has become a better quarterback because he has to be more precise and surgical, and it's not deep balls. He's a much better quarterback now.

The numbers, if you go the last two years without Tyreek Hill and look at Mahom's numbers, they're still great. And he's winning when it matters in cold weather. Miami's not. So we tend to fall in love, and I can be guilty of this. We fall in love with the over-the-top receiver. But I remember when Dak had Des, and Des would give you about eight to ten touchdowns. But Des was so noisy, Dak felt like he had to get Des constantly involved early in the game or on the sidelines, Des would throw up, you know, a pity party.

And in the end, Dac became a better quarterback, forced to see the entire field, distribute the ball evenly to multiple receivers. You want quarterback growth, not receiver stats. And Mahomes is a better quarterback today than three years ago. Because he can't rely. It's like Mike Tyson had a great knockout punch. Lennox Lewis could fight. Yeah.

Evander Holyfield could fight. Tyson had the big knockout punch. Ali could fight. But we fall in love. We watch videos and we want the knockout punch. J. Mack with the news. No, no, no, no, no. Turn on the news.

This is the herd line news. Well, you know, I like your strategy of doing, hey, I'm going to do multiple playoff predictions because a lot of things change over the course of six months. Well, this Chargers situation, I'm kind of backing off my Chargers in the playoffs, Colin. Justin Herbert, still sitting out practice for two more weeks due to the Plantar fascia issue in his right foot. He's in a walking boot of practice this week. The team does expect him back in time for the regular season,

but the rest of the offense is struggling big time without their quarterback. Colin, this is not what you want. New coach, new offensive coordinator. And now you've got your star quarterback injured? Like, they're not great for the charges. Well, it's not great for the first couple of weeks. So if you look at the charger schedule, which the NFL did them a solid, It's pretty soft and workable early.

I don't project the Chargers will be great in early September. They're just because quarterback and receiver and tight end, those are timing positions. And they've got some that... All newness. All their receivers are basically new except for Palmer. Yeah. So it's, yeah, I mean, I think what we're basically saying is there are teams, like Detroit should be good week one. They bring back a dominant offensive line.

Offensive lines tend to, especially with movement. we've talked about the Jets, it is hard to rebuild an O-line in the off-season and expect in September they're great. Because starters do not, old veteran O-Linmen don't play in August. They don't. And there's only so many padded practices now, 28 to 16 with a CBA. So teams that are rebuilding their O-Line, watch for Atlanta with a great O-Line returning to be pretty good in September, Detroit to be pretty good in September, and teams like Pittsburgh rebuilding it, Jets, rebuilding it, Chargers rebuilding the offense, they could struggle early.

And that's the thing. Remember Belichick would use September as kind of an extended preseason? But you didn't have to worry because you had Tom Brady and Belichick later in the season. And the division was bad back then. Mostly bad. Mostly, yes. I just don't know if the Chargers would be able to turn it on as easy playing. You know, you've got to face the Chiefs late in the season like it. Not great for the Chargers. Let's go to the San Francisco 49ers. Brock Purdy up for the big contract extension next offseason, he claims to not be thinking

that far into the future, despite some of his peers getting huge deals this year. When asked if he's been paying attention to the rest of the quarterback contracts, he said it would be wrong if that's where his mindset was heading into the season and all he's focused about is winning. Respect him. Well, you could say that, but it's pretty obvious that any normal human being is going to think about it. You and I, pretty well-known, our deals are up next year.

You don't think we think about that stuff? Come on. You know what I thought about today? You do think about it. Dominating. I don't get caught up in that nonsense. I mean, I'm not saying caught up, but you could think about it, you know? Brock Purdy throws two picks. He's like, damn it.

You start thinking about your contract. Look at the ratings in September. We'll have to have discussions. Some of that stuff's out of your control. Focus on the task at hand. Who are these two gibronies running for president? What's going on there? going to eat up with nonsense?

Like, some of that stuff's out of our control. Out of Brock Purdy's control. What if Trent Williams goes down? They struggled without him last year. That's the reason they lost a They struggled since he arrived without Trent Williams. He is the most crucial left tackle in football since maybe Jonathan Ogden.

Andrew Whitworth with the Rams. I talked about this yesterday. When he left the Rams, Cooper Cup got hurt. I had puka. When Whitworth left, two years later, their old line was a mess without Andrew Whitworth. They were fine if Cooper got hurt.

When Todd Gurley left, they figured out ways, Cam Acres, Kairn Williams, they figured out ways to run the ball. These left tackles, there's a reason the highest paid people in football are quarterbacks, edge rushers, and left tackles. Now, wide receivers are, we're in a bit of a, we're in a

wide receiver bubble. I think we are. I think we're in a wide receiver bubble. I think there's a handful that are worth big money. Iyuk's not one of them. We called that early. and I would much rather pay a left tackle because I'm just telling you, if Williams goes down and Purdy is not great, which he probably won't be if you look at last year without Williams, he was not great.

People are going to, oh, there's the real Brock Purdy. You guys saw what Mahomes look like without his tackles in the Super Bowl. It's a nightmare. You don't have a good left tackle, and Mahomes doesn't have one this year. No, that's why I don't think the Chiefs are repeating. Listen, I'm just saying this Trent Williams situation bears watching for Purdy and the Niners. Three peering. Oh, yeah, final story is the NFL celebrated the Hall of Fame class of 2024 last weekend.

Let's take a look at who could make it in 2025. Some notable first-year eligible players. Okay, let's go through this. Eli Manning. Yes. No debate at all? You can debate it on. I think he's in.

Yeah, of course. But I think there's a debate to be had. He wasn't a great regular season quarterback, so that does matter. He had two good playoff runs where he went three and O or four and O each top. Other than that, he was never a top five quarter. He beat, not only did he beat Belichick twice, not only did he beat Brady twice, he meet two of the most iconic great throws in Super Bowl history, beating the greatest quarterback ever.

So can you get into the Hall of Fame on two great throws or two great games? Well, no, I mean, you beat Brady and Belichick in their prime. That's not just two big throws. I like the debate. Marshawn Lynch, I don't know the running back stuff. The two that jump out to me are Luke Keekly and Eli Manning, absolutely. I don't know the numbers. Suggs was very good.

T. Sizzle. Earl Thomas had a... I don't know Marshaun Lynch's number. The media loves him, but I mean, Eli's a yes and Luke Keeckley's a yes. Yeah, just remember, the media, if they like you. I think Terrell Suggs is a yes. Yeah, he'll get in. I think Marshawn Lynch, the media loves him.

He's a guy who goes viral all the time. He gives good interview. How many, I mean, where is Marshawn Lynch? I'm just guessing, all-time rushing. No, I'd know. 18th? I mean, it could be eighth. I have no idea.

He's a really, really good career. Where is he, Alex? So, Marshaun Lynch is 29th all-time in rushing. Was he ever the top running back in the NFL? No. No. Was he ever the number two? There's a difference between getting a lot of great press and being a Hall of Famer.

Like Marshawn Lynch is a really, really great player, but multiple teams moved off him. He's got a handful of iconic runs. I don't. 29th all-time leading rusher. The guard, Yanda, Yanda, how would you say it? He didn't he the smartest player in history? He was awesome. He's like a biochemist or a zonel.

Yeah, offensive linemen are tough, but I don't know. I mean, Hall of Fame is a real difficult discussion. I'm just saying, to me, Eli Manning, Luke Keakley, and Suggs feel like yeses. I don't even see, I don't need to see the numbers. Those feel like yeses. Everybody else, we can argue. What's your, like, baseline? Were you the best player at your position in the league?

Or were you top by? Well, I tend to be one of these believers. Two, two things. Number one, were you great? Not good, but great for 10 years. What's the definition of great? Can you tell the story? of the NFL without Eli Manning, and you cannot.

No. But you can without Luke Keekley, no disrespect to Luke. Luke Keakley for about nine years was the best linebacker in the sport. Oh, I don't know, but the bet he was one of the best. Ray Lewis, I mean, in my lifetime. He was never. He was never. Junior Seow, into Ray Lewis, into Luke Keekly, into now Fred

Warner, those are the best linebackers for like a generation. I don't know. I mean, he falls, he was on those Cam Newton teams that never had back-to-back over 500 seasons. That's not his fault. Great player, great career. If I said to you, you go to a decade. And I'm just, I'm spitballing this. You know, But Kiss was the best.

Ray Nitchke, there's linebackers like Ray Lewis for nine years, junior seow. I think Luke kicked me for a... Oh, I thought he was great. He's close, but... Dude, he was... Well, the internet's going to kill one of us. Am I wrong on? Okay, Earl Thomas.

I mean, really, really, really good in the league of the booth. He was arguably the best safety for a decade. So I think I'd probably put him in. I mean, there were 10 years... The best safety? Dude, I'd... Ed Reed. and Earl Thomas to me.

He's never better than Ed Reed. No, no, no. Ed Reed's the best safety ever. Yeah, but I think they played the same era. I'm saying he played in the Ed Reed. So Ed Reed's the best safety I've ever seen. Troy, Polamallo, and Earl Thomas were like 1A and 1B. Like, they weren't Ed Reed. I'm just telling you for a decade, here were the three best safeties.

Ed Reed, best ever. And then Troy and Earl Thomas. Now, I could be, again, I could be missing somebody off the top of my head. If you're that good for 10 years, you get in. Again, I'm not acting like I'm negative on the exact. I'm not down playing Luke Keekly. I'm not down on it. He was a great, great linebacker, elite.

He's Fred Warner. He's Fred Warner. If you say, Fred Warner has led the Niners and tackled six straight years, but because of Bosa and McCaffrey and Debo and Shanahan, Fred Warner, he doesn't even, you know that there's another linebacker in the league that doesn't get love either, the kid Davis for the Saints. DeMario Davis? Former Jet?

Yeah, I'm aware of it. Dude, that guy. He literally... He jumps off the television set. I don't think that means all the same. Okay, so here we go. Okay, so here we go. Now, again, this is top of my head.

Defensive player of the year, seven first or second team all pros. He was very, very good. Yeah, top three at his position for like eight years. You got three, four linebackers a team. I think he's in a short list seven pro bowl. How many guys can, are you picking from this list? It's not like you can take all of them.

I'm not taking all of them. them. You got, so Eli Manning is in, we'll agree. Defensive rookie of the year. That sounds like a... Yeah, go to Terrell Suggs' Wikipedia page. I mean, that guy's... I would put Terrell Suggs in over Keeclay.

Well, I think they're all... I think the three that I look at and go, yes. Eli, because of his Super Bowl greatness, Suggs productivity, and I think there's an argument that Luke Keeckley was one of the two best linebackers for an eight-year period. What about Vinatari? I know you're biased against kickers. It's kickers.

What do you do with this? How many Super Bowls did he win for the Patriots? I would have to... I mean, Brady drove him down the field, but he's got to make a cake. I would have to be talked into Van and Terry, but I'm not against him. Okay. I mean, that guy was almost two decades. I grew up with Ray Guy.

Oh, here we go. Why, I can't bring it up to 70s? 1970s punters. Okay, time out. Let me just say this. And what I'm about to say is true. For my entire childhood, Ray Guy was not only the best punter and punter. football, he was, there was no second. You can't name the second best punter. If you're the best,

it's like Mariano Rivera. For a decade, we didn't even talk about the second best closure. There was Mariano and then it was like guys. Like, so Vin and Terry was a really, really good kicker. But was he in a class by himself? He never met a big tackle. He never threw a touchdown. A kicker. I'm just saying, I'm not an anti-kicker, but was he the best? He never made a tackle. That's the greatest thing I've ever heard. Listen, Vinotary was super-duper clutch. I mean, he's got to be in. Let's find.

Let's give you four picks from this list. Racking that a kicker is clutch, if you're not, you're unemployed. You have to be clutch. All right. Give me your four guys. I don't know how many you can make on the ballot. Eli, Suggs, Luke Keeckley, and Earl Thomas. Eli Suzz's Luke Kee.

Okay. I have a major bias against offensive lineman. I see it. You hate the big uglies, huh? The Marshal, Yonda. He thinks the smartest player in league history. I think. I'm just throwing that out there.

It's just like useless trivia. But I think he, isn't he the guy? I mean, literally could be a Harvard math professor or something. J. Mack with the news. Well, that's the news. And thanks for stopping by. The Herd Lie News. All right, back in a second.

Live in L.A., it's The Herd. Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd weekdays in noon Eastern, 9 a.m. Pacific. Sports Radio, FS1, and the IHeart Radio app. Hey, it's me, Rob Parker. Check out my weekly MLB podcast Inside the Parker for 22 minutes of pipe and hot baseball talk, featuring the biggest names and newsmakers in the sport. Whether you believe in analytics or the I-Test, we've got all the bases covered. New episodes drop every Thursday, so do yourself for favor and listen to Inside the Parker

with Rob Parker on the IHRour. Heart Radio app or wherever you get your podcast. 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 put on 10 pounds, I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth.

Listen to Superhuman on the IHard 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 you're saying. 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 Jette. 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 on 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, so. 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. Welcome to my new podcast, Learn the Hard Way with me, your host, and your favorite therapist, Kear Games. And in recognition of mental health awareness month, I'm bringing over a decade of my own experience in the mental health field and conversations with so many incredible guests. I'm talking, Tripp Fontaine, Ryan Clark, T. Sometimes when we're in the pursuit of the thing, we get so wrapped up in the chase that we don't realize that we are in possession of the thing. And we're still chasing it. And we don't know when we've done enough.

Because people scoreboard watch. Life becomes about wins and losses. Steve Burns, Dustin Ross, because you find it important to be a good person while you hear on earth. Are you a good person because you're afraid? Because that's two different intentions, bro. Absolutely. And that's two different levels of trust. I want you to just really be a good person.

person. Join me, Keir Gaines, as we have real conversations about healing, growth, fatherhood, pressure, and purpose on my new podcast, Learn the Hardway. Open your free iHeartRadio app, search Learn the Hardway, and listen now. My staff is making fun of me because I have misidentified the world's smartest man. Marshall Yonda may be very smart for the Ravens, but the guard for the Ravens, that there was some story I read once that he was literally like MIT, is John Urchall, a doctorate from MIT. Now he's a professor there. I mean, that's incredible.

MIT is like, is MIT, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, isn't it the most profound academic school in America? It's one of the best, yes. Yeah. So nothing again, Marshall Yonda, he could be brilliant. I don't know. But it's John Urshel. And so I misidentified him nine times. John, I apologize.

I think John was on our show. Can you imagine being smart enough to go to MIT and be willing to come on my show? That guy was probably like, oh, bro, this is like Nickelodeon for him, just like, you know, cartoon network. Anyway, there you go. And so you, you know, it's funny because when you, one of my favorite parts about Hall of Fame is that I know you don't have the data in front of you, but there is something to be said about if I give you a name and what you. What is your first reaction?

And I think fans would be surprised if you take out your favorite players and your favorite team, how often your initial reaction is right. And to me, Luke Keakley is like, I think he was the best linebacker for like eight to ten years. Then you look up the numbers and you're like, yeah, yeah, he was great. And then Earl Thomas wasn't Ed Reed, but he was in that short little list of second best safety in the league. He had incredible range, like groundbreaking range. Most of the time, quarterbacks are easy because we have all our staff. We know what they did and didn't do.

But I always said Eli Manning was the opposite of Philip Rivers. Philip was really good in the regular season, nothing in the playoffs. Manning didn't do much in the regular season great in the playoffs. They both matter, but it's not just winning two Super Bowls. It's beating Brady Belichick in their prime, and the plays of the game were a throw to Mario Manningham in a football-sized area and David Tyree catching with his helmet. He should have been sacked. So it's like it's beyond just winning two Super Bowls, then add Brady.

that add Belichick, then the two of the three most iconic throws ever. Outside of the Bradshaw-Lin Swan catch, I mean, the David Tyree catch is the greatest catch in the Super Bowl history. And the Manningham one is, if you go watch that in replay, he fitted into a, literally it's about the size of a coffee cup. There was this little area to get it into, and Eli, up the left sideline, perfectly nailed it.

See, I agree. But at the same time, Eli probably, through, I don't know, I'm just guessing, 15,000 passes in his career. And we're boiling it down to two great throws in the Super Bowl? That makes him all in the same. Hey, if I nail my opening rant in the fall during sweeps period, nothing

else matters, baby. 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, 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. Hey, this is Robert from the Stuff to Blow Your Mind podcast. Joe and I are both lifelong Star Wars fan, so we're celebrating May the 4th with a brand new week of fun, thought-provoking Star Wars-related episodes. Join us as we tackle science and culture topics from a galaxy far, far away, such as the biology of tauntons and wampas on the ice planet hot,

or the practicality and corporate business sense of the Sith rule of two. Listen to stuff to blow your mind on the iHeart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. On the look back at it podcast. From 1979, that was a big moment for me. 84's big to me. I'm Sam J. And I'm Alex English.

Each episode, we pick a here, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it. with our friends, fellow comedians, and favorite authors. Like Mark Lamont Hill on the 80s. 84 was a wild year. It was a wild year. I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

This is an IHeart podcast. Guaranteed human.