The Herd with Colin Cowherd - Hour 2 - The top 10 NFL QBs

Episode Date: July 28, 2025

Eagles QB Jalen Hurts is ranked correctly Danny Parkins gives his list of the top 10 QBs in the NFL The Bengals continue to pinch pennies when it comes to contracts   Guest: Bruce FeldmanSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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To Fox Sports Radio. Hour number two, Danny Parkins. In for Colin Cowherd. Danny Park is from a new, soon to be expanded. First Things First. That is still surreal. Chris Broussardle joined next hour. My now teammate on First Things First.

Unbelievably exciting. It's really cool to be in for Colin. I appreciate everyone allowing me to do it. One down. Two to go. Bruce Feldman will join us in. 20 minutes, how many teams have a legit shot at the national championship and where the college football playoff goes from here. But I know I'm not very popular in Philadelphia because when you

do these jobs, you end up talking about the best teams and the best quarterbacks and the best coaches and anything short of, it's the greatest I've ever seen, is apparently blasphemous. And Eagles fans are awesome, right? You're insane. You're passionate. You're defense. You're your guy. You should. Everyone's playing the correct role here. But I just look at this and I ask

what is enough? Because here's everything I've said publicly and we'll say again about Jalen Hertz and the Philadelphia Eagles. They are the best organization in the NFL with

the best offensive line in the NFL, with the best running back in the NFL, with a top three wide receiver duo in the NFL, with a top three defensive tackle in the NFL, with a top linebacker, and a top young secondary, and a top general manager. Do I also have to believe that you have a top five quarterback? Do I also have to believe that Nick Siriani is the best coach in the NFL. It's like nothing, no amount of praise is enough. Because I think Jalen Hertz is the 10th best quarterback in the NFL, who is clutch,

is a great leader, and is unbelievably smart. Jalen Hertz having nine different play callers over nine years spanning back to college speaks incredibly highly to his football character and his football intelligence. Jalen Hertz playing not one, but two, not good, but great, Super Bowls, obviously, is incredibly valuable. No one would deny any of it. Clutch, smart, leader. I also think it's totally reasonable to say that the guy who was 22nd in the NFL in pass attempts last year is propped up by the system at which he plays in and the guys around him. And by the way, anybody would be. if you got to throw to Devante Smith and A.J. Brown and be protected by Lane Johnson and Jordan Milata

and hand the ball off to Sequin Barclay, that's pretty good. Anybody would want to be in that situation. Patrick Mahomes would want to be in that situation. Josh Allen would want to be in that situation. Lamar Jackson. Anybody in the league would want to be in that situation. and the Eagles could have Carson Wentz on the verge of being an MVP. Now he's a backup in the league. He gets hurt and Nick Foles wins a Super Bowl. They were in a Super Bowl with a different coach and a different quarterback

and then a different quarterback and then a different coach. And now it's Jalen Hertz. Again, it's an unbelievable organization. I would argue the best organization. But for some reason, The pushback then becomes, oh, so you're saying you'd rather Jalen Hertz throw for 4,000 yards and 40 touchdowns than just win. Not if I'm an Eagles fan, obviously not. But if I'm evaluating a quarterback, then yeah, that is exactly what I'm saying.

The primary job of the quarterback is to throw the ball. would say no it's to win no it isn't winning is a team concept quarterback wins are not a quarterback stat but if you want to make it a quarterback stat i'm your huckleberry let's play the game let's show the company that jalen hertz keeps among winners and then the amount of passing touchdowns that they have because he wins including the playoffs since 2021 at a clip higher than lamarer higher than Allen, lower than Mahomes. He wins at a clip second best in the NFL. But for passing touchdowns, for those guys at that clip,

Lamar Jackson, 105, Josh Allen, 148. Patrick Mahomes, 160, Jalen Hertz, 89. And then he's got a ton of rushing touchdowns from the one-yard line. And so then you said, well, Danny, no one's saying that he's better than Josh Allen or Lamar Jackson or Patrick Mahomes. Okay. But there is what he does to contribute to the winning. And again, leader, smart, clutch, durable, all incredibly valuable things. But a general manager once said his job is summed up very simply.

It's very difficult to do, but it's summed up simply. evaluate the individual within the concept of the team. Like if you're the best deep ball wide receiver, but you've got a quarterback with a noodle arm, tough to really prove it. Or if you're the best deep ball receiver, but you got an offensive line that can't pass block, tough to give your quarterback enough time

for the route to develop for you to really prove it. It is a complimentary game. We all understand that. Philly fans understand that. But it's like I have to say that he's a top five quarterback with a top five coach. If they are really that, well, then it's the best team in the history of the NFL. And I don't think anybody looks at Philly that way. They are very good.

They were very dominant. They started two and two. They started throwing less and running more. And they basically ran the table. One lost the rest of the way. And they bludgeoned people, except for the Rams. throughout the postseason. That is a really reasonable resume for a great team and a very good quarterback.

It's tough for me to say that Jalen Hertz is better than Matt Stafford. It's just hard for me to do. Because when I watch them play and I see one guy sling it all over the field and the team's success is predicated on him slinging all over the field, I believe that that guy is the better quarterback, not the better runner, not even necessarily the better leader. But that's what I think Eagles fans miss in this conversation. It's not a knock on Jalen Hertz.

It's a compliment to your organization that you can be that dominant with a very good quarterback. It is a compliment. It's not a knock on Hertz. He deserves all his money. Eagles fans should love him. Eagles fans should want to trade Jalen Hertz for no one. But you've got to admit if Howie Roseman got the phone call,

hey, Justin Herbert for Jalen Hertz, does anyone actually think Howie Roseman would say no? Does anyone believe it? You'd say it, you'd say, well, Justin Herbert had four interceptions and he's got two losses in a playoff game. Okay. Does anyone really believe it? That trade is proposed.

Herbert for Hertz. Who says no? Because I don't think Jim Harbaugh is leaving Michigan to go coach Jalen Hertz. I think most people who evaluate it, watch it, would say, yeah, he doesn't have the playoff success, but he also hasn't had the quality organization and line and receivers and defense and everything that Jalen Hertz has. And so maybe it's impossible for Jalen Hertz to be regarded as the best quarterback because he has such a super team around him.

oh well that's life you still have a couple hundred million bucks and a couple of super bowl appearances and a super bowl ring and you can shut everybody up by continuing to win so everyone i think is playing their role correctly here i just don't have i don't believe that they also have the best coach and the best quarterback and everything on their their team is the best in the NFL i think some of their elements are the best and it props everything else up. Speaking of rankings, let's do it.

For the sake of the exercise, top 10 quarterbacks in the NFL heading into the 2025 NFL season. Number 10. Jalen Hertz. I said it and I mean it. He was like, you got to give him more credit

for winning the Super Bowl. I am. He was outside of my top 10 last year. Like, spoiler alert. He's ahead of Dak Prescott. He wasn't this time. last season. Kaelan Hertz, great leader, clutch, perfect for that team in that system, but not asked

to do nearly as much for his team's success as the guys nine through one on my list. Number nine, the bake show. Baker Mayfield is the poster child for patience. we'll see what Bryce Young ends up being in Carolina but Baker Mayfield, man, they haven't figured it out in Carolina, they haven't figured it out in Cleveland. This guy, the last two seasons,

comfortably inside the top 10, he's first in passing touchdowns, second in passing yards, fourth in passer rating, and sixth in yards per attempt. Baker Mayfield, all the respect. Number eight. Jared Goff, like Jalen Hertz, has a ton around him.

No doubt about it. But doing it with two different franchises with the Rams to a Super Bowl and now the Lions as perennial contenders year in and year out matters. And last year, I mean, career highs and points per game, 33, completion percentage, passing touchdowns, pass a rating, yards per attempt. and oh yeah by the way wins Jared Gough's a stud and he's playing up to the billing

of being the number one overall pick number seven it's the best rookie season I've ever seen Jaden Daniels is the guy on this list who at the end that top four is just so ironclad it's like Mount Rushmore hey you know we should do that as a sports radio hook Mount Rushmore has anyone ever thought of that

but if there was a guy outside of the top four who could jump in if jade and daniels builds on a rookie season with the third down efficiency the fourth down efficiency the winning the one score victories if he takes that lamar jackson patrick malhomes type of leap he's in the MVP conversation he's in the top four conversation number six

matt stafford's been that dude for well over a decade as soon as he leaves detroit he goes to the rams he gets better coaching he gets a little better talent around him he gets a better system and he gets a ring In the playoffs, he's been a stud. With McVeigh, he's been a stud. And this one is still a bit of the eye test. We'll see what the offensive line is for the Rams this year.

Left tackle's already hurt. They've got some questions kind of across the board with Humphrey's there. But at his age, he needs good protection. But if he gets good protection, there's really no one in the world that's better at throwing the football. Number five. Except for maybe my guy, Justin Herbert, who I think is very Matt Staffordesque. And still, by the way, on the exact same career trajectory as Peyton Manning. Big year for Herbert with Harbaugh, with the running game,

with arguably the best tackle duo outside of Philadelphia in the NFL. 500 plus pass attempts, three or fewer interceptions. Justin Herbert last year. Aaron Rogers. Give him more weapons, which they did in the draft. The passing game produces even more. Justin Herbert, absolute stud, the fifth best quarterback in the NFL. Number four.

This one I struggle with, but I'm giving it to Lamar Jackson. Lamar Jackson statistically last year, him and Aaron Rogers only quarterbacks with more than 40 passing touchdowns and fewer than five interceptions. He was brilliant, but he didn't win the MVP to Josh Allen. Once you get into the top four, I think we are dealing with parsing greatness among the guys in the postseason. And Lamar still has a losing record in the postseason, but he's a first ballot Hall of Famer. give him a ring, he jumps up on the list. Number three, Joe Burrow.

I'm not going to knock him for his defense. Joe Burrow had a losing record in games where his team scored more than 30 points last year. It's an impossibility. He has a middle-of-the-road defense. He's the MVP of the league last year. His passer rating in losses was 108.2. Second highest pass-rating and losses ever for a quarterback to lose eight or more. four games. Joe Burrow, third best quarterback in the league.

Number two. I've said it before, I'll say it again. It's very clearly, Josh Allen. If it wasn't for Patrick Mahomes, it would be universally accepted that this guy was the best in the NFL. He's second to Mahomes and wins. He's second to Mahomes in passing yards. He's second to Mahomes and passing touchdowns in the last five seasons.

This is your second best quarterback. This is your second best player in football, which frankly ruins the suspense for number one. number one Mahomes is still on that Brady track through eight seasons he's still there double-digit win seasons he's still on the track the Super Bowls he's still on the track

the regular season wins he's ahead of him the playoff wins he's ahead of him the conference titles he's ahead of him Super Bowls he's even to him guy's going to play football for another 10 plus years and that Brady conversation is going to start really picking up give him that explosive offense back

with the Spagnolo's defense, he'll just add more to his trophy case. There's your top 10 quarterbacks heading in to this season. What a perfect list, by the way. I don't know how anyone could dispute anything on there, except apparently Philly fans. All right, coming up,

realistic expectations for Bill Belichick this season. Nick Sabin, Colin says he's going to the NFL, as he closed the door on coaching. We'll ask Bruce Feldman, Fox Sports College Football Insider. One more herd? The herd streams 24 hours a day, seven days a week within the IHeart radio app.

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We just contributed to it. We're the first people to do podcasts. Yeah, pretty wide range of podcasts throughout there. But this one's extra special. So how do we actually come up with a name Hey Jonas, guys? I honestly don't remember.

I think it was on a call about what we should call it. Well, we were thinking I'm originally calling it one of the early names of our band before Jonas Brothers. This is how you guys remember it going down? Yes. I have a very different memory of this. We were talking about a thing, a bit for the podcast

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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 IHard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Welcome back in to The Herd. I'm Danny Parkins in for Colin. And before we get to Bruce Feldman here in just a minute, we have some pretty big news in the world of college football. And that is that Dion Sanders has announced, we knew that that we knew that. that there was going to be a press conference with his medical team. But Dion Sanders has announced that while he will be returning to Colorado this season, he had cancer.

And he had to have a tumor removed from his bladder. And his medical team says that the cancer is gone. He lost 25 pounds dealing with the cancer and complications from the surgery. So that is obviously very scary news for D. Dion and the Sanders family, but also very good news. If you can have a tumor and have it be removed and have your doctors say that the cancer did not spread and it's gone, right? There's like good versions of bad news. And thankfully, Dion Sanders sounds like he got the best news possible for a very, very scary diagnosis.

And so there was obviously some speculation as to what was going to go on with his health scare and his situation because there was a video that had been put out on his Instagram about him needing to create a will. is just so he's so vulnerable and he's so public and he's so emotional that he is you know he's so in the public eye and he has these kids interests at heart that you knew he was going to be public with these types of things and so it's it's good that this new you know when you hear he's doing a press conference with his medical team your mind goes into all is he is he stepping away is he okay is this going to be an ongoing situation which obviously it still could be you know anyone and it will tell you, once you have cancer,

you'll get cancer screenings and cancer tests for the rest of your life. But thankfully, it sounds like, at least for now, that Dion Sanders is good and on the other side of his surgery and is getting ready to coach the Colorado Buffalo's this upcoming season. Who, by the way, I mean, let's be honest,

how is it going to be better than coaching your son who gets drafted into the NFL and coaching Travis Hunter. So absolutely, you know, fascinating football story. He was linked to the Dallas Cowboys and NFL jobs and bigger jobs there.

Dion's success at multiple levels as a coach, you know, he's got the noise and the sizzle to him, but he's also had the stake. Did he win a bowl game? No, but the ability to take a program that was in the situation that they were in and get it to respectability

and get a quarterback drafted and a Heisman trophy winner and all of the things that they've been able to do, it's an impressive turnaround. And he's great for college football, both for interest and based on the stories that come out of Boulder,

he's great for those kids in Colorado. So all the best of Deion and the Sanders family. This is from the press conference just moments ago, Dion and his doctors explaining the procedure with a health update for Dion. We discussed some options of treatment in the bladder, and we discussed bladder removal as well. Given his commitments to his family and to the team elected to undergo a bladder removal,

we performed a full robot-assisted laparoscopic bladder removal and creation of a new bladder, and I am pleased to report that the results from the surgery are that he is cured from the cancer. You can clap, it's okay, then. You can clap. What an awesome panover from the very serious medical doctor to be like, we had to remove his bladder and build a new bladder, and we're thankful to report that there is no more cancer. Cut to Dion and a hat and small row.

You can clap. And normally the journalist, it means like, yeah, we should be clapping at press conferences. That is an absolutely 100% appropriate time to clap at a press conference. And what an incredible panover. there was there for those of you watching on FS1 for Dionne Sanders because Dion is always going to be Dion. But I would say, you know, Dion also, man, the content that he provides and the interest, he's one of the greatest athletes ever.

Not football players, not of his generation. He's just one of the greatest athletes ever. So for that level of fame and cult of personality, to then make this transition to coaching and grind his way up from the lower levels to the bigger levels and have the success and put kids into the pros and clearly love it and be dedicated to it is really inspiring. It's like a really impressive thing. And then, you know, not to get too overly personal with you here, but coming up in a few days, I've got a big cancer fundraiser that I'm doing on the radio in Chicago in partnership with the Cubs after I lost my brother to cancer.

And I talked to all of these patients and people who share their story with cancer because we all know that it's affected everybody. But when you get people who are willing to be public with their journey to talk about that surgery, to talk about having a new bladder, to talk about the weight loss, to talk about the complications from surgery and then to be in the public eye going forward, it's not a stretch to say, it's obvious to say that it's inspiring, it's not a stretch to say that it can save lives. People getting checked, people taking ownership of their health. So good for Dion, man. That is a very impressive thing to do to be able to be public about it and to be

vulnerable in those moments. So that's a coach who, you know, he's made a difference in those kids. He's made a difference on the football field. And I had a poster of Dion Sanders on the wall, frankly. But it was the type of thing where it's like, man, now you have this other human part of it.

So good to know that Dion will be back at Colorado this season. And we'll see how he could figure out a way to move on from coaching his kid. Because he's not going to coach the Browns. And it doesn't look like Shador's going to be playing quarterback for the Browns. but now he gets to continue to build the legacy of what he's doing coming up in Colorado.

So it's a pretty impressive thing, and we're all glad for the health update there on Dion Sanders. We're going to push Bruce Feldman back just a little bit, it looks like, with some big news here on Dion Sanders. We'll have him in just a few minutes. So to the NFL, there was a story over the weekend with Shamar Stewart and the Cincinnati Bengals. the coverage of this story has bothered me, and I'll explain why. Because Shamar Stewart has not been doing anything wrong, and now he's signed his contract and he's in, and Shemar Stewart was middle first-round pick

for a terrible defense and a talented pass rusher, and they needed Shemar Stewart to get ready, right? And they needed Shemar Stewart to be there. Okay, fine. And then the Bengals are like, we want to put language into your contract that is not in any other first round picks contract that was not in our first round picks contract for last year about what guarantees get voided

if you get in trouble for stuff that happens off the field. And Shamar Stewart's agent was like, no. Why are you doing that to my clients? Do you think Shamar Stewart's going to get in trouble? And they're like, no, we just want to protect ourselves. And then the owner, Mike Brown, came out and he said some version of, you know, I don't think I should have to pay a guy if he's in prison.

And it's like, whoa, do you think Shamar Stewart's a troublemaker? That's not fair at all. He's like, I'm not even saying that. He's like, I just think that that's bad precedent. So the Bengals are trying to set a precedent, and Shamar Stewart's agent doesn't want to acquiesce to a precedent because he's trying to sign next year's Shamar Stewart. He's like, why would I get the next guy

if I gave up guarantees and protections that were collectively bargained and that sort of thing? So, and it ends up reportedly getting, he got an extra 500 grand on his signing bonus early, and, you know, they worked it out, and it cost him a few days. at training camp and it cost them some bad headlines. The Bengals side of this is an organization that has the perception of penny pinching

for a defense that was terrible after signing T. Higgins and Jamar Chase and Joe Burrow that has a Super Bowl ready offense under contract in its prime, why would you nickel and dime with your first round pick? What are you doing here? That is reasonable. and I'm not sitting here and telling you it's not. But Trey Hendrickson is not even with the Bengals in camp. And Trey Hendrickson wants to get paid like Miles Garrett and T.J. Watt. And the Bengals are like, your sack production is there, but your overall production isn't,

and you're not as crazy of an athlete. And you were a great player on a bad defense. Those guys have been on better defenses, and you're a year older. And so we'll give you one year of guarantees, and he wants three years of guarantees. and so he left camp. And Trey Hendricksson is greatly outperformed his contract. And so really all the Bengals have done now is sign Shemar Stewart and change defensive

coordinators. But here's how I feel about contracts. They are the lifeblood of these guys careers because they play the most violent sport with the least guarantees. Baseball contracts are guaranteed. Basketball contracts are guaranteed, and the injury rate in football is way higher than those other two sports. In terms of injuries that can end your career. So they are fighting for every dollar they can get, and they know that a team can cut them. Look what just happened with the Raiders. They're like, well, something happened with Christian Wilkins and how he's recovering from an injury, so we are going to

void your guarantees, and you can file your grievance, and we'll see how it plays out. Maybe Christian Wilkins will win, maybe the Raiders will win. But that's why these players obviously fight for every dollar they can to be guaranteed. But, and this is maybe a little fourth wall, taking you behind the curtain a little bit, but because the NFL is so popular, and everyone gambles on it, and everyone plays fantasy football on it, on shows like this, it can drive the conversation in the way that regular season basketball can't, that regular season basketball can't, that regular season baseball can't, that even playoff baseball sometimes can't, depending on the markets and the stars involved. So what's a good way in July to get us to talk some NFL?

Oh, man, Terry McLaren and the commanders are upset on their contracts. Is Terry McLaren worth what A.J. Brown got? How can the commanders pay Debo Samuel, but not Terry McLaren? And then do you know how the story always ends with the player signing the contract? all the time. In a post-Levi on Bell NFL, players don't miss games. It's incredibly rare. Chris Jones missed one game,

and he had rings on his finger and was dominant in a Super Bowl, and he showed up to the game with his agents on either side of him in the box. That was a big story. And he missed one game and the Chiefs won the Super Bowl, the year that he held out and missed the game.

teams now have so much money and there is so much money at stake for the players that eventually you see it in free agency. The best players and the biggest names don't leave in free agency anymore because basically every team can sign their guys. The Bengals are regarded as cheap. I will be floored if they don't sign Trey Hendrickson.

And that means that the cheap Bengals will have signed Joe Burrow, Jamar Chase, T. and Trey Hendrickson, all to market deals at premium positions. So contracts have a way of getting resolved, and players are supposed to be upset during the negotiation, because the teams are supposed to try to lowball during the negotiation, and then it eventually works out. Micah will be in Dallas, Hendrickson will be in Cincinnati, McLaurin will be in Washington, and is it necessary?

Does it rankle some guys? No, it's not necessary. Yes, it wrinkles, guys. But you know what? Let's bygones be bygones? Getting $38 million to rush the passer. They have a tendency to forgive and forget a little bit. So we had the breaking news with Dionne Sanders announcing that he had his bladder removed

to remove a cancerous tumor. So we have the Dion Sanders, Colorado News, massive college football games that are happening in just a month. We've made it to football season. Bruce Feldman next. The Hurt. Be sure to catch live editions of The HARD weekdays in noon Eastern 9 a.m. Pacific on Fox Sports Radio, FS1, and the IHeart Radio app. Hey, it's us, the Jonas Brothers, and guess what?

We have some big news. What's the news, new? Huge news. We created our own podcast called, Hey, Jonas. We invented a podcast? Well, we didn't invent it. We just contributed to a... We're the first people to do podcasts.

Pretty, yeah, pretty wide range of podcasts throughout there. But this one's extra special. So how do we actually come up with a name Hey Jonas, guys? I honestly don't remember. I think it was on a call about what we should call it. Well, we were thinking I'm originally calling it one of the early names of our band. Before Jonas Brothers was... This is how you guys remember it going down?

Yes. I have a very different memory of this. We were talking about a thing, a bit for the podcast, where people could call in and say, hey, Jonas. And then I wrote down on my little notepad, Hey Jonas, Jonas, and offered it up as a potential. title for the podcast. But thanks for remembering that, guys.

Listen to Hey Jonas on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Just listen. We don't care where you hear it. Another podcast from some SNL late-night comedy guy, not quite. Unhumor me with Robert Smygel and friends. Me and hilarious guests from Bob Odenkirk to David Letterman help make you funnier. This week, my guest, SNL's Mikey Day and head writer Streeter Seidel, help an a a cappella band with their between songs banter. Where does your group perform?

We do some retirement homes. Those people are starving for banter. Listen to humor me with Robert Smigel and Friends on the I-Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. The French Open is one of the toughest tests in tennis. And I know firsthand because I competed there myself. I'm Renee Stubbs. And on the Renee Stubbs tennis podcast, I'm breaking down everything happening at Roland Garris.

every match, every upset, and what it really takes to win on Clay. Jen she went. I mean, she went down in three to Rabakina, but I'm delighted. She's an outsider to win the French for me. And she likes Clay. Listen, Lena Rubakina is arguably the best player in the world right now, and I actually can win on any surface. Because if she's serving, well, good luck.

Consider this your court side seat to the French Open. Listen to the Renee Stubbs Tennis Podcast on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. Presented by Capital One, founding partner of IHeart Women's Sports. 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. Back in on the herd. I'm Danny Parkins. In for Colin Cowherd's Day, tomorrow and Wednesday.

Huge news in the world of college football and the world of sports, because while Dion Sanders is a fixture in college football, he's one of the most famous athletes alive, and one of the greatest athletes alive, announcing that he had his bladder removed because of a cancerous tumor that was on his bladder, that announcement coming just moments ago. So it's a great time to welcome to the herd. Bruce Feldman, Fox Sports College Football Reporter and New York Times bestselling author.

Bruce, thank you very much for the time. Obviously, good news that the surgery was successful, but your reaction to the Dion Sanders press conference with his whole medical team there at Colorado. Yeah, it's pretty jolting just to hear how serious this was to have the bladder removed, to have it was a cancerous tumor that was in there. They actually, according to the doctors who were at the press conference, they actually had the procedure done by robot. And when one of the doctors was explaining kind of the process here,

when Dion was diagnosed with it, it was like he was told with this kind of cancer, there's a 50% chance of reoccurrence and he wanted to explore his other options. And so that became this to basically have a new bladder built for him and have the old one removed. I mean, it's crazy because in the course of this press conference, the doctor had said this was his 14th surgery that he's had just in the last four years, which is kind of mind blowing that he's had that many procedures. I had seen him at Big 12 media days earlier this month in Texas, and he wasn't really back on the job, at least in terms of back with his team, but talking to him for a couple of minutes,

you could tell that something significant had happened. It wasn't like this was a guy who was on vacation for a month or went to Europe or anything, and even for the people I know who were close to him, they really kind of stressed something significant. It happened, and now to hear it, it's really eye-opening. Yeah, and it's courageous to be public with anything like that.

So that'll make a huge difference, both for those kids and the program, but just anyone who follows sports and hears that sort of thing. So again, congrats to Dion for the positive medical news there and what apparently was a successful surgery. Football is so secondary here, but they kind of took the college football world by storm with Shador Sanders and Travis Hunter, who are not there anymore. How do you follow it up?

What are you expecting from Colorado this season? It's going to be, I think, a rebuild. Not like the rebuild that he and they had when they all came from Jackson State, and it was an awful program. They had won one game the previous year, and he made them respectable. You know, they went from four wins in the first year to nine wins in a top 25 season last year. But as you said, now his star quarterback, who is the leader of the offense, his son is in the NFL, and the real star of the team, the guy who won the Heisman, Travis Hunters, and Jackson.

Bill and he was such a two-way force and a difference maker. I think replacing not just the leadership, but the star power of, hey, we need a big play, and those guys could step up and make it. We saw that time and time again, especially with Travis Hunter. Those guys are gone now. So you have new quarterbacks, Caden Salter, who's played a lot more of a running quarterback from Liberty. Juju Lewis is a 17-year-old quarterback who is a big recruit.

I think you'll see some version of a split. you'll see probably both quarterbacks play. I think there's more talent in the trenches right now at CU than they had in Dion's first two years. I think they're probably a little more balanced across the board. I don't think they have the wow players and the splash players, certainly led by Travis, and they have a real tough opener. Georgia Tech has to come to Boulder, but this is a really good team.

Remember, this is the same team that took Georgia to like 10 over. overtimes Thanksgiving weekend. They're good and they're physical. It is very much like the same team, same style of team, that blew Colorado out in the Allamo Bowl, that BYU team, really physical, punishing run game, very diverse in how they attack you in the run game. And I think those are the challenges that Colorado is going to have to learn from

and see if they're up to it because this is going to be a real physical test for them right out of the gate. talking college football with Bruce Feldman. We are just over a month from the two teams with the two best title odds, Texas and Ohio State playing each other an unbelievable way to start it off for those two powerhouse programs. Who has the edge? In this case, I'm going to say it's the team that's the home team, which is Ohio State. You know, so many changes.

Obviously, both teams are replacing quarterbacks. You also have on the Ohio State side, they have to replace. both the offensive and defensive coordinators, Ohio State lost, you know, pretty much its entire D-line, whereas Texas lost four of its five starters who were going to be in front of Arch Manning now. I think it's a really interesting chess match here between Steve Sarkesey and Arch Manning against Matt Patricia, who's now the defensive coordinator, comes from the NFL to the Big Ten. Now, what I think is a big help in addition to it being a home game for the Buckeyes. They have

the best offensive and the best defensive players in the country coming back. Jeremiah Smith, who you're seeing all the highlights of now, that great receiver, he's 6-3, 225 pounds, and is unguaratable. You have to double team them. You may even have to triple team them.

Then on the other side of the ball, Caleb Downs is a phenomenal safety who makes big plays all over the field and is really a leader and probably the smartest defensive player in college football. Those two guys are such different makers. I think that gives them a big advantage. And again, Texas is loaded. I think they're a top five team, but with a rebuilt offensive line completely in going into a real hostile environment

and a team that has such star power, I would give the edge, not a huge one, but I would give the edge to Ohio State at the start of the year at least. Yeah, I can't believe Jeremiah Smith still can't enter the NFL. The guy's an absolute beast. You mentioned the offensive line in front of Arch Manning, you'll be asked this a million times between now and the end of the year. Do you expect him to be an NFL draft pick at the end of this season? I don't. I think just knowing the Manning's and his parents a little bit, I think they know that it's probably in his best interest to keep getting reps and keep playing and keep getting game action. Now, it's a little different these days compared to just,

you know, when his uncles were playing, were the season could be a lot longer. I mean, if Texas is as good and does as well as I think they're going to do, they're probably going to play 16 games. And that's a lot more than a 12-game schedule. There's also more injury risk with a longer stretch. I mean, he only started two games, though, last year. He's played some, but not a lot.

And I think just to be a one-year starter, even if everything goes great, and let's say he leads him to a national title, and they go 15 and 1 and win a national title, I still think there's going to be some, you know, hesitation about is he ready, is it in his best interest to jump into the NFL? You know, when I talked to Cooper Manning, his dad,

a couple months ago, one of the things we talked about was just, you know, he brought up about when you're ready. You know, he's seen so many examples of, especially in the NFL, quarterbacks who might not be as ready as they could be, getting thrown under the bus pretty quick because the process doesn't wait, doesn't have much patience.

But I think he's super talented. Everybody I talked to at Texas raves about his football intelligence. He's really athletic. I think he's in a really good position. It's just, I think time is something that's, you know, you can't put a price on that.

I just think that maybe the added reps of being a two-year starter probably would help his long-term development. but, you know, let's see. We don't have a crystal ball. We're just kind of going on how we think the process will play out for him. All right, I got to do this quickly. I feel like I owe it to Colin Cowherd since he's letting me sit in this seat. What do you make of this idea of Nick Sabin maybe not being done coaching

and if he is better suited nowadays for the NFL than college? Man, he's going to be 74 in a couple of months. I just, I think he's, even if he's tempted to look at the NFL, look, you know, Pete Carroll's around the same age and he's in Las Vegas and he's got a ton of energy. Sabin seems to have a ton of energy. I know from the conversations he had when he walked away at Alabama, it was all the things going around the sport and the way everything's run. Just he didn't need it anymore.

He seems like he's doing a really good job in TV. I just think if he's, going to jump back into it. You know, that's not just him. That's him and his wife who have to, you know, make that decision. I'd still be very surprised being in his mid-70s if he decided to come back to the grind that is coaching, even if it's in the NFL and you have more of an offseason than you do as a college coach.

Bruce Feldman, football, college football reporter for Fox Sports and New York Times, bestselling author. Thank you so much for the time on a big news day in college football. Thank you, Bruce. Thank you, Danny. I love that theory from Colin. He's like, it's not even a good, well-kept secret. Nick Saban in the NFL, I'm like, I didn't know that secret.

Someone kept that secret for me. That would be a massive story. How about him and Bill Belichick on the same staff in the NFL? Let's go. Just old-timers, bring it back together, recreate that documentary. It'd be a good story. I wouldn't hire them to coach my team, but I'd want them to coach a team in the NFL. Thanks to Bruce Feldman.

And again, congrats to Dion. Sanders on a positive health update from a very, very serious health situation. But coming up, there's another LeBron story on the internet, but I don't think it's exactly how people are making it out to be. He's not trying to push his way to Denver. And yes, it is an inevitability for Micah Parsons to get paid. I think I've cracked Jerry Jones's code. It's all coming up on the herd. Hey guys, it's us and the Jonas Brothers. I'm Joe. I'm Kevin. And I'm Nick. And guess what? We created our own.

podcast called Hey Jonas. We invented a podcast? Well, we didn't invent it. We just contributed to it. We're the first people to do podcasts. We get to ask other people questions because we're sick and tired of being asked questions. Well, sick and tired is a strong way to put it, but, you know, tired and sick. Listen to Hey Jonas on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast.

Just listen. We don't care where you hear it. Another podcast from some SNL late night comedy guy, not quite. Unhumor me with Robert Smygel and Friends. me and hilarious guests from Bob Odenkirk to David Letterman help make you funnier. This week, my guest, SNL's Mikey Day and head writer Streeter Seidel help an a cappella band with their between songs banter.

Where does your group perform? We do some retirement homes. Those people are starving for banter. Listen to humor me with Robert Smigel and friends on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal but encouraged. It's the enhanced

games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast 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. I'm Michelle McPhee, and I've been unraveling the strangest criminal alliance I've ever ever reported on. A Mormon polygamist and an Armenian businessman. Multi-million dollar house, Ferraris and Lamborghinis, private jets, a billion dollar fraud. But how long can this alliance last?

Tell me what you know. Is somebody coming after me? Listen to Kingdom of Fraud on the I-Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. This is an I-Heart podcast. Guaranteed Human.