The Herd with Colin Cowherd - THE HERD – HOUR 1 – Deshaun Watson + Browns Mess, 49ers Have BIG Problems

Episode Date: August 24, 2026

Colin Cowherd discusses breaking NFL news: The Browns announce Deshaun Watson as their week 1 starting QB. Colin believes Cleveland is making a huge mistake and explains why this has been one of the worst moves in league history. Colin has serious concerns about the 49ers entering the season and why it appears their championship contention window is coming to an end.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is an I-Heart podcast. Guaranteed human. Get Bell Pure Fiber Internet with Crave, Netflix, and Disney Plus from $94 a month. Price guaranteed for two years on Internet with a two-year term and auto pay credit. Visit bell.ca for details and to check availability. Bell, connection is everything. I survived nine months in captivity, and I've spent my life exploring how other people survive what should have destroyed them. I'm Elizabeth Smart, and these.

These are the Survivor Files. Every week, I'm with survivors who live through the unthinkable, abducted, stalked, controlled, and nearly silenced. These are stories about what it takes to make it out alive. Listen to The Survivor Files with Elizabeth Smart on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. If your bookshelf and your For You page are equally important to your personality, welcome home. Pro Society is a weekly podcast that's part book club, part group chat for anyone who thinks Pride and Prejudice and Love Island to serve the same level of discourse. Each week, we're connecting the dots between books, the internet, and pop culture with your favorite writers, book talk creators, and plenty of overthought opinions. Yeah, I'm obsessed.

I'm obsessed. I'm obsessed. I listen to Pro Society on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. I'm Hoda Kotby, host of the podcast, Joy 101 with Hoda Kotby. You know, I'm always searching for inspiration and useful tools to maximize joy. Like when my friend Henry Winkler offered advice to aspiring actors and really anybody hoping to stand out. You're not hired just to fill time and space. You're hired to fill the space with you. Listen to Joy 101 with Hoda Kotby 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 week. on Fox Sports Radio in noon to 3 Eastern 9 a.m. to noon Pacific. Find your local station for the herd at Fox Sports Radio.com or stream us live every day on the Iheart Radio app by searching Fox Sports Radio or FSR. You're listening to Fox Sports Radio. Here we go to Monday. Welcome in. There's a lot going on. Breaking News, too. We're in Chicago. It's the herd wherever you may be. And however, you may be watching. You may be watching, listening, whatever the platform. Thanks for making that part of your day one hour

from now where Colin was right, where Colin was wrong. Well, you know, March 17 of 2022, Deshawn Watson and his agent told the Browns, you're out of the running. A day later, they signed him to a $230 million contract guaranteed. It has been a disaster since. So he was off a Saturday, a 14 passer rating, absolutely outplayed by Shadour Sanders, and yet the Browns are naming Deshaun as the starting quarterback for week one. The owner has to have some say here. And I don't know why you're naming it three weeks before opening day. All I know is for Cleveland Sports Talk Radio. Christmas came in August. Cleveland Radio is going to be lit today because this is going to infuriate fans.

I never thought he had much of a fastball. He is throwing now in the low 80s. So the media is wrong all the time, myself included. But when 100% of the media predict something is going to be an unmitigated disaster very quickly, the media is usually right. And that's what the media said, myself included. This made no sense. Absolute.

No great decisions are made out of panic. and they signed and do a $230 million deal, unprecedented, all of it guaranteed with 27 civil lawsuits pending because of awful behavior. So this is why I always say, I have no sympathy for losing NFL franchises. None. If I told you, let me give you four of the worst moves in the history of pro sports ever. The Raiders hiring a GM and a coach off television. Dan Snyder, who's one of the worst owners in pro sports history, hiring Steve Spurrier, who acknowledges he really just, he's a college ball coach who loves to golf.

It was a disaster three weeks in. The Angels, shocker, let Otani walk, got nothing for it, nothing for Babe Ruth plus of our generation, and this move. What are they all having common? The Angels, the Browns, the Raiders, Dan Snyders, Washington football team. So Shadur Sanders should be starting. He had a five, six minute interview on the sideline this weekend. It was fascinating. The kid is interesting.

Much more interesting than his dad's college football program is these days. And Shadur played pretty well. And, you know, I've said this before about Shadur. He went to Colorado. They had the worst run game in the college and the worst pass block. O-line they have since Deion took over and he was really, really productive. He didn't have a great coaching staff, had no run game, bad O-line, and he was productive. He was really productive.

I would give the kid the start. And again, don't confuse. All GMs make mistakes. All GMs, even the Hall of Fame guys, hire the wrong coach. All GMs miss on first round draft picks. I'm not ripping guys for that. But $230 million on March 17th, you're out of the game. of the running on March 18th, you guarantee fully all of it. Cleveland deserves all of this.

To me, it's the worst decision. I think it tops the worst acquisition and trade. They also gave up three first round picks for it. I mean, just absolutely a disaster. I mean, people can say, oh, Denver and Russell Wilson. I thought Denver, Russell Wilson was good the previous year. He fell off a cliff and didn't work with Sean Payton, but I can live with that dead cap. money. I can live with that. Denver rebounded quickly. Eighty-six million still going forward on the cap, dead cap, money. 86 million still the next couple of years. You can spread it out a little bit. So he was bad Saturday and he got booed and instead of owning it and having any self-awareness, here was Deshaun Watson after the game. It has nothing to do about the performance. It's

a little bit personal than that. So I think that's a disrespectful thing. Last time I played on this field, I told my Achilles. And that same fan base, they cheered when I got hurt. So does that

have to do it? What does that have to do with anything about performance? They booed you Saturday because you were awful. You had a 14 pass-a-rating. That's why they were booing you because Shadur was better and you were bad

and whatever fastball you had is done. It's interesting. There's a lot going on today. A breaking story with the owner of the Niners we'll get to after the break. You know, sometimes when like a sports fan base and the media is so beaten down, they don't even know what good is when it's staring them in the face. And I was reading, you know, the Bears lost of the Bengals in the preseason. It's the preseason.

And they got down in the Reds. zone and then they had a penalty and they had to settle for a field goal and and Caleb wasn't very effective and the the writer is saying oh boy here we go again just like last year and then I went and looked up the offense last year for the Bears it was ninth in the league better than Kyle Shanahan Brock Purdy Christian McCaffrey in the Niners better than Harbaugh and Herbert in Los Angeles better than Bo Nix and Sean Payton and Denver, and better than a stacked roster in Philadelphia. It was a higher rated offense than all of those.

It was also great on third down. And the quarterback doesn't throw interceptions and is always durable. So this idea that this offense for the Bears is that it's maddening and chaotic. It was second in the league in big plays. They had seven come from behind wins in the fourth quarter. folks that's a good offense the entire league now you could say to yourself well we fell behind let me tell you with the bears offense the issues with the bears offense left tackle but they got great news in this camp because their left tackle is healthier they thought he was going to be out

until thanksgiving and he's back they have weaknesses they don't have a ton of depth in the secondary safety or corner they better stay healthy they do not necessarily have a great edge rush, but I do think, I think they stole a six-round pick out of Georgia Tech. A little bit of a shocker. He's way better than everybody thought. He's looked very good. But the last time the Bears had an offense this highly rated, Ronald Reagan was president. And the moonwalk was attempted by Michael Jackson for the first time.

Again, edge rush, real questions. I thought they should have drafted one. They didn't. cornerback safety depth cross your fingers that the rookie out of Oregon at safety and Jalen Johnson stay healthy because they don't have a ton of depth. But this idea that the offense, yes, it's not as efficient as 20-year veteran Drew Breeze and not as accurate, but Breeze didn't have this mobility and this arm. I went and looked at the analytics this morning for the Bears offense from week five on last year. It was a top five NFL offense with the second most explosive plays in the league.

90% of the league would take this offense. And that was year one with Ben Johnson and his crew. Now, did Caleb miss an open receiver this weekend? Is Ben Johnson hard on Caleb Williams appropriately? Yes. Here was Ben after the loss. Ben gets testy very quickly talking about a. Caleb passed that sailed.

Would you see how the shot Caleb took to Colston down? It looked like it was just a little high. Mm-hmm. I probably would go somewhere else with the ball on that one. That's who Ben Johnson is. By the way, Sean Payton can be like that. Shanahan gets grumpy when the offense isn't clicking. I would like to remind you, though, Bears fans,

before you say the offense is maddening. It was a top three rushing team in the NFL. Excellent on third down. Seven come from behind fourth quarter wins. And the offense got better as the season progressed, which means the players take to coaching. It means your coaching's good and the players take to it. So take a deep breath. It was also better than Green Bay's offense.

When's the last time you could say that in Chicago? Our offense is better than the Packers. It was. So it's fine. This is, I'm not saying it's the model of the NFL. It's not the real. Rams yet, but it was better than the Niners and Shanahan and Sean Payton and Harbon Herbert, and it was better than the stacked Philadelphia Eagles.

Philadelphia has got issues. That should be a top two, three offense every year with all the components they have. All right. A mess in San Francisco. We'll talk about that. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern 9 a.m. Pacific on Fox Sports Radio, FS1, and the IHeart Radio app. 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 a favor and listen to Inside the Parker with Rob Parker on the IHeart Radio app or wherever you get your podcast. Get Bell Pure Fiber Internet with Craved Netflix and Disney Plus from $94 a month. Price guaranteed for two years on Internet with a two-year term and auto pay credit. Visit bell.ca for details and to check availability. Bell, connection is everything.

When I was 14 years old, I was kidnapped and held captive for nine months. I survived, and I've spent my life exploring how other people survive what should have destroyed them. I'm Elizabeth Smart, and these are the surviving. I just remember this low taunting voice next to my ear saying shut up, don't say anything. Every week, I'm with survivors who live through the unthinkable. I knew if he woke up, without a doubt, he was going to hurt me. I started feeling that there was someone at the end of my bed, and I just started screaming. They are abducted, stalked, controlled, and nearly silenced.

but these aren't stories about what's taken from them. They're stories about what it takes to make it out alive. Listen to The Survivor Files with Elizabeth Smart on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. If your bookshelf and your For You page are equally important to your personality, welcome home. This is Prose Society, the weekly podcast that's part book club, part group chat for thought daughters, pop culture obsessives, and anyone who thinks,

thinks Pride and Prejudice and Love Island deserve the same level of discourse. I'm Eli Rallo, and every week we're connecting the dots between books, the internet, and the conversations everyone can't stop having. I'm going to have to look up this story. I'm obsessed. I'm obsessed. From best-selling authors and your favorite book talk creators to the latest pop culture moments, nothing is off the table.

It's like if you can hide some real messages inside compelling characters, then that is a Trojan horse. Whether you're looking for literary deep dives, smart pop culture conversations, or a community of readers who love to think a little too much, you're in the right place. Listen to pro society on the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. See you between the pages. Hey, this is Hayes Davenport. And Sean Clements. We host the podcast Hollywood Handbook on the Big Big Money Players Network. Our show is extremely accessible to first time listeners. Each week, we talk to someone in show business, aka the biz, and try to help them with their careers

and see what they have to offer us. Everyone has a good time, and no one gets mad at their publicists for letting them do our show. We've had a lot of great guests like Sarah Sherman, not that great. Actually, can you help me shape this? How about we flip it on his head, right?

How about we flip this script? What is the surprise woman? Actually, you think is the straight man is actually the one who's acting weird. Adam Scott This entire time You've been expecting Adam Sandler to come to visit the show

I would never Let go of that I have I would never set expectations for something like that To happen If the universe allows for something like that to happen I'm open to it I'm always going to accept You know Danny McBride

Fine Yeah it's all this fragile masculinity Exuding I could smell it walking on the hallway To be honest with you I was like, is that weed? Nope. It's fragile masculinity. Ben Stiller, no.

Because a lot of times, out of context, people don't get it or even know what a circle is. You know what I mean? They're like, oh, what's a state. Everyone's so dumb. And fake. Right, fake and also not interested or just like, oh, I've got my life. I don't care about your life. And a lot of other big shots that wouldn't be where they are without us.

Oh, and by the way, Will Ferrell told us personally, loves the show and he wants to be a guest on every episode but he's just so busy listen to hollywood handbook on the iHeart radio app apple podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts uh brown's coach todd munk and he's the rookie head coach coordinator in the league and offensive coach forever said he named dasha watson the starter because he gives us the best chance to move the ball and score points uh i mean they have such a sunk cost with joshan watson i i did you know listen jimmy haslam forced them to draft Mansell and force them to pay and play Deshawn Watson. This feels like it comes from above, which is just Jimmy Haslam also many believe forced

them to draft Shedur Sanders, although in the fifth round, I actually thought it was a really good pick, but I don't think the coaching staff or the GM wanted to because they just drafted Dylan Gabriel. So it's more of, you know, a lot of the Jimmy Haslam stuff. But, yeah, so he's been named the starter. Oh, I would die to listen to Cleveland Sports Talk. radio today and listen to the callers. I bet it's just absolutely incredible. So here's the good news for the San Francisco 49ers. George Kittle off surgery, Achilles, increasing his chances of playing in week one.

Here's more good news. Christian McCaffrey says recent practice abstinces were planned as part of load management. I don't love load management for McCaffrey. I'll give him a pass. Here's the bad news. Their owner, Jed York, got arrested. It says here in Ohio over the weekend, East Palestine, Ohio, misdemeanor charges, disorderly conduct, and possessing criminal tools. That's what the story in front of me says. It's interesting. I tend to think the Niners are very close to pulling Athelma and Louis.

and driving off the cliff here. I really do. For a lot of reasons. The Seahawks and the Rams have drafted so brilliantly over the last three years, very few misses. The Niners, those are four games. The Niners go in as an underdog. Those are young. And remember, young players get hurt less than old guys. And when they get hurt, they recover more quickly.

So the Niners this season are, and whether you like Brock Purdy or not, and he's clearly in NFL starting quarterback. They are really dependent on five older players. Trent Williams left tackle. He's 38. Kittle, going to be a Hall of Famer off surgery. Nick Bosa coming off his second surgery. Christian McCaffrey led the NFL in touches.

Mike Evans, who is often banged up, though I love him. And Fred Warner, off a surgery as well. I think Fred will be fine. First big surgery for him. So don't forget their last two first round picks, Ricky Pearsall out for the year injured. I mean, it's just, it's an epidemic every year with the Niners. And McKell Williams, who is a great young talent, he's banged up and won't be there for

week one. That's against the Rams in Australia. The saving grace for all of this in San Francisco is the NFL schedule makers did them a solid. It's the second easiest schedule in the league. And after they go to Australia and the land down under and get thumped by the Rams, they get both the Miami Dolphins and the Arizona Cardinals at home. Then it gets much tougher.

Then it's the Seahawks on the road. Then it's the Denver Broncos. Then you've got to travel to the south. But they get a break after the Rams. But they are hanging on by peptides in a prayer. This is an old, old team, oldest roster in the NFL. And almost all their old guys are coming off serious surgeries. So we'll update.

you on that story about the owner, Jed York, which is weird. I just, I just, I don't think they're a playoff team. I can, two things, as we have often said, can be true. I love the coach. I love McCaffrey. I love the organization. I think they're heading right for a cliff. Here's J-Mack with the news.

Turn on the news. This is the Herdline News. Props for the Thelman-Louise reference. underrated movie from back in the day, Colin. All right, let's get started with Joe Burrow, your guy. You guys used to be buddies. Listen, the pressure's on Joe Burrow at this moment. And he is coming out and he gave a sit-down interview.

And after a summer in which the Bengals had a lot of defenders, Joe Burrow has come out and said there's so much urgency that the team has guys, quote, playing and coaching for their jobs this year. Now, I don't know if he's talking about his coach or some of the new defensive editions. Colin, there was a lot. of smoke swirling around Joe Burrow. I tried to trade him to the Jets last week. You weren't having

anything of it. Three first round picks is what Deshawn Watson cost. But Burrow definitely, I know Bengals fans get upset when I say this. He seems unhappy during a lot of these interviews. Oh, his body language the last two to three years has been so evident. I don't even think that's I think Bengal fans know that. And now, in fairness to the Bengals, they did go out and get Dexter Lawrence. That was a good get by them. And they also, they kept T. Higgins. So they paid two receivers. Like a lot of teams won't pay a second receiver, right? They'll pay Jamar Chase.

So they kept T. Higgins. Burrell wanted that, and they went and got Dexter Lawrence, which was really a need more than a favor. Like they could not stop the run last year. So I will say I have them making the playoffs this year. I think both of us do. I think their schedule works in their favor. But I will say the last couple years, they could not stop the run, which is problematic when you have a star quarterback because you lose time of possession. And Joe Burrell sits and watches the game.

But when you look at this schedule, the one thing that really works in their favor is every time they have a tough game like the Texans, well, they get the bucks before it. Or you say, oh, they face the Jags. Well, they get the dolphins after it. Oh, they face the Ravens. Oh, they get the Titans after it. Every single spot this year where they face what looks like, you know, a real fight scratch and claw game, they get by relative to NFL terms, kind of an easier game the next week. So it's a, there's not a two-game stretch all year where you look at it and think, I mean, maybe late in the year, Panthers, Colts, Ravens in a row isn't easy, but it works in their favor to get back to the playoffs.

So I will say that week one game is hugely pivotal. Colin, one of the biggest storylines for the Bengals, the last like five years has been Zach Taylor's ineptitude in September. I believe they have the worst or second or worst record in the league in September. Yeah, they've been bad. Under Zach Taylor. Now, if you lose to the Bengals, I'm sorry, to the bucks in that opener at home, you know people are going to panic because after that it gets tough. Texans followed by the division rival against the Steelers. And all of a sudden, you're like, holy crap, are we going to be potentially 0 and 3?

And that's when I think Burrow and things could go sideways. Now, I'm with you. I have the Bengals as a playoff team. But the only Bengals fans who don't think there's something here have their heads buried in the sand. This is not great. Yeah, I think most fans here, Joe's. discussed. I mean, last year, a couple times last year when it was way beyond dissatisfied. And I'm going to defend the athlete who has overachieved, has over-delivered for the franchise.

Sometimes the franchise set you up and you fail. We see that with a lot of quarterbacks, young quarterbacks. This is an organization where they have let him down. So I think this off-season, by getting Dexter Lawrence, I think it was a sign like we're going to go all in. And I think with Joe Burroughs injury history, I wouldn't mess around on this. Like, I would go for it now. I mean, is Lawrence going to take him from 31st in the league in defense to like league average? Well, I'll tell you. I mean, they've got a lot of dudes.

I get that. Yeah, pretty unblockable so far in the preseason. All right, let's stick in the AFC North and go to Aaron Rogers and the Pittsburgh Steelers. Obviously, he's been hard, Rogers has, on young receivers in his career. And second round rookie, Jeremy Bernard, is expected. to have like an impact among the receivers. He was on a podcast recently and he said he was low-key scared

of playing with Aaron Rogers. It's challenging and I don't go like, I'd be having low-key a little bit of anxiety when I'm out there with him just because it's like, I don't really want to mess up because then I feel like that he's gonna chew my ass out.

But that's good. But yeah, but at the same time, it's like I enjoy being there with him and being under him because he's just teaching me the game. He's giving me all the knowledge he knows about the game.

And so, like, it's helping me elevate for sure. But I ain't a lot. I'll be low-key scared. I feel I can't mess up around him. That's the truth. That's true. That's true. I like the honesty, but Colin, let's be real. There is something similar to playing with LeBron.

You know, young guys, young rookies are nervous to play with LeBron. They're excited, but you screw up. LeBron's a veteran. He's an all-time great, and he's going to let you know about it. Yeah, and Aaron's playing at intellectually at a different level. so was old Peyton and Old Breeze and Mahomes is getting to that point where they just, I kind of defend quarterbacks on this. Although I will say by getting Pittman, who's one of the hardest working guys that USC

ever had in their program, Metcalf, Pittman, and if this kid works out, they have solved their wide receiver issues. Remember last year when D.K. Metcalf got hurt. They didn't have anybody in the building that was a one or a two. So I think, I really believe this year, the one thing, this division's hard to call because, you know, Baltimore's got a lot of first, they lost Linderbaum first time coach, first time Claycaller. Pittsburgh's offense, you're going from Tomlin defensive sensibility to Mike McCarthy. So don't be surprised if the Steelers by the end of the year aren't a top seven or eight scoring offense.

Don't be surprised by that because the people are there, but the Pittsburgh Steelers have been, all their money has been on defense, all their touch has been on defense for years. This is the first time in 15 years. You're like, I think the offense will be noticeably better than that. than the defense. All right, let's wrap up with the New England Patriots, representatives of the AFC and the Super Bowl. Mike Vrable has kept Drake May and a bunch of starters out the first two preseason games, and he's not going to play him Thursday against the Browns.

But asked whether it was important to get the starters some reps before the opener. Vrable, this is kind of aggressive. Take a listen. I don't think we have a very deep team, Mike, so I think we have to make sure that we're preparing our football team and that we're doing everything that we can to keep our best players available. And if that means playing Thursday, part of preparation, that's what we'll do. I have not made that decision yet.

But I would say that that's something that I'm confident in with where we're set up currently. You know, it's funny when he said that. I don't believe he handpicked the GM, Wolf, and who I thought has had a, I don't, it made it sound like Vrable didn't necessarily love all the personnel choices in the building to go out and say we don't have a lot of depth.

Now, I mean, he obviously controls the football operation, but, not that it was a cheap shot, but he's just saying, I don't think we have a lot of depth. We got to make sure we hit and develop those late round picks. and later he clarified it because people asked and he said, well, I mean, it's a collective. We're all doing this stuff.

But he is the coach, not the general manager. So I thought that was an interesting choice of words. I mean, that Will Campbell pick. Now, that was a weak draft, and he's more of an interior blocker or a right tackle than a left tackle. I don't think there's any question about that. He was overwhelmed against Seattle. But he was a rookie as well.

But I think their offensive line, not great. Yeah, take a look on the screen. Our staff put this together. Last 15 years, Colin, okay? Teams that won 14 or more games in a season. All of them. All of them. Lost more games than next season.

All of them. It looks here. It looks like in most cases, it's not just less, but read it to the audience. Nine less, six less, less, three less, five less, three less, three less. Down butt, nine less, four less, three less. there will be a drop-off. It's just a matter of how much of a drop-off there is. And even Patriots fans know, right?

They accept that they got fortunate last year. There's so many backup quarterbacks. Put their schedule up. If you put their schedule up, I think I, the other, I know I did this the other day at home. I was just writing down the games and kind of doing the WL. I had them at 10 wins. But the problem with this schedule is that they have a lot of good teams on the road, at Seattle, at Buffalo, at J.

Jacksonville. Wait, what are we got 30 seconds? Why don't you just count out the 10 wins? Let's hear. Pittsburgh, week two. I'll give them a win over

Jacksonville in week three. Raiders in week five, Jets in week six, dolphins in week eight, Packers at home in week nine. Okay. Actually, no, that, yeah, we beat up a win, okay.

They'll beat Buffalo at home, Vikings, they'll beat, Jets they'll beat and the dolphins they'll beat. Okay, that's 10. All right. I think, I don't know if they'll be favored against the Packers. Micah Parsons will be back. But actually, that's not a horrible job by you.

That puts it at 9 or 10. 20. I really appreciate that support. I was really appreciate. I don't know that they beat Buffalo. They did, I think, split with them last year, right? Yeah, they did. And then Jaguar's game on the road, you can't just go to Jacksonville and expect to get a win.

It ain't easy like that, especially with Buffalo looming the next week, you know, the big trip to Buffalo. and three of their first four on the road right out the shoot. Seattle's a pretty rough. That's a pretty rough opener. Yeah. That's the first Thursday game. It might actually be Wednesday. No, Wednesday.

Isn't the Rams? No, no, no. Am I wrong on that? The Rams Niners are Wednesday. The Patriots Seahawks are Thursday on Amazon. Okay, you're right. Yeah, yeah. And the Australia game, that's right.

All right, J-Mack, with the news. Well, that's the news. And thanks for stop. The Herd Lie News. So I think it's national news. Deshawn Watson named the starter three weeks out for the Cleveland Browns. And then, you know, clearly outplayed by Shadur Sanders. I thought Shadur played very well.

He had a touchdown pass. Completed about 70% of his throws. I thought Shadur looked well. One of the reasons I've always backed Shadur Sanders is, do you know since Dion Sanders took over Colorado? they have the last ranked run game in college football. They have the last ranked pass protection offensive line in football. So basically, Sodor Sanders, and do we think like, I mean, we don't think Dion's a great coach.

He's the opposite of Kurt Signetti. It's all flash and no stake. It's all sizzle, no stake. Signetti is all stake, no sizzle. He could lighten up a little bit. So it's the opposite of Indiana where you, you know, it's a lot of promotion. and pom-poms, but there's not a lot of, all the stuff that matters, like O-line play, run the football, all the things that help a quarterback. Shadur was at Colorado, and literally they did nothing to help him.

He had no-run game, running for his life, and he's not wildly athletic. I think he's more athletic than everybody says. But to me, Shadur was a very productive college player with a bad old line and no-run game in a conference with a lot of, I mean, you know, it's some tough road games. So here is Todd Monkin just a bit ago on the decision to start Deshaun Watson. Sean is going to start against Jacksonville, took in the full body of work over the course of off-season to training camp, to the games, the joint practice, and ultimately felt like to start the season on the road. Deshawn gave us the best chance to move the ball and score points.

I think Shadour has done a great job. Come along ways, and we're excited about his future. But this is not a week-to-week decision. All right. Don't quite get why you'd name it now. The winner in all this is the Cleveland Sports Talk radio hosts. They get three weeks of great content. Also, here was Munkin, asked if Deshaun getting

booed by the home fans played into the decision. That's the day to day. What they're not seeing is the film. They're not in our building. So they're not going to know what we know. Now, you can see with your own eyes, right? You can forecast what you expect it to be, right? A number of those people weren't even at practice.

So I don't really concern myself with what they really think. I know what we think and what we see every day and on our building and our place. players and the momentum we have, and we're 100% behind DeShan. By the way, did we reverse this thing? So Patriot Seahawks Wednesday. Did we reverse it the first time? Yeah. And then Niners Rams, Australia Thursday.

There we go. That's official. You know, was it you? J. Mack had it right. So Patriot Seahawks Wednesday. I just looked the other day. I just had it written down. I'm trying to.

Yeah. So Patriot Seahawks, Seattle at home, probably what a six point favorite, five point favorite? I think it's some four and a half five, yeah. Yeah. You know my rule. When it's four, take the favorite because the Vegas doesn't want four. Niners, Rams in Australia, I would think the Rams, I know it's the vision would be favored by what,

three and a half, four? Yep. Hey, can I ask you about Deshawn Watson real quick? So the booing at home, you just mentioned that, right? I looked at the schedule. Do you want to know where the Browns open on the road the first two weeks? Do you think that factored in at all? they open at Jacksonville and then at Tampa.

So you're not going to boo Watson right out of the gate. There's a world where Cleveland wins one or two of those. I don't know where you are on Jacksonville. And then he comes home and it's like, hey, you're opening against the Panthers. And the Panthers are going to not be great this year. Sorry. So then all of a sudden it's like, okay, there's no pressure on Watson. And those two first games, not, you know, big time TV.

Well, I think here's what I think is, let's say you're Jimmy Hasl. And we can pretend that Jimmy Haslam has no say in this, but he pulled the trigger on Menzel. He acknowledges, he acknowledges he pulled the trigger on Deshaun Watson. So I doubt he's just off to the side with no opinion. I mean, they owe him 86 million dead cap money after this year. So how about this? If you're the owner, well, let's play Deshaun in those two opening road games where there'll be underdogs. And if they get whacked, you give him.

one home start in Cleveland, one, and if it doesn't work, Shudur against the rest of the season. Or maybe Shedorja starts game three. But the opposite is potentially true too, right? That Watson could succeed in those two. Colin, this is how bleak it is. I got a buddy who's a Browns fan. He went online and he was like, you know who was a starter for Munkin when Munkin had success in Georgia? Stetson Bennett. He ain't playing on the ramps, right? Ty Simpson's the backup. Why don't we go get Stetson Bennett to start for the Browns? Like Cleveland fans are right now, are really in a bad place. And I know that's on brand for them.

Let's still. Let's just be patient. Very rarely do I care about bad football teams? I just don't. For whatever reason, this inferno effect with Cleveland, I want to see, because I think the GM's excellent, I want to see Shadour play with this group. I was at the game when the Bears played the Browns a couple weeks ago at Soldier Field.

I was there. Deshawn shot. It's over. Deshawn can't play. It is over. I mean, the Bears' defense, they were using backups. The Bears starters aren't great defensively. They don't have a ton of depth on that Bears' defense.

So Deshaun is, and he played a lot. Deshawn played against second and third team guys for the Bears and was ineffective. So it's like, this isn't going to work. Now, Shadur wasn't great either. But, you know, by that time Shadur was playing with like third string guys for Cleveland on offense. I think Shot Fighter in these highlights It looks like he's shot putting the ball At times like he's afraid to get hit

I mean he's coming off two Achilles Colin Like that that's not easy to bounce back from And he was he was I said it when he came out of Clemson He was a great college player But he was always a bit of a B prospect He did get Houston in the playoffs I believe twice Got that win over Josh Allen

Where Josh Allen totally imploded I think it was his first playoff start And then he led the Chiefs You know this is one of the crazier games Go look this up on YouTube. They led the Chiefs 24-0 at Arrowhead in a playoff game. I remember it. He has been awful, like an abject disaster since that game.

And I remember it was 2020. That was the year of COVID happened like three months later. Yeah. They led Kansas City and Mahomes. I remember. Everybody was healthy. And they ended up losing like 51-31. How do you lead 24-0 and then lose by 20 in an NFL game?

That was absolutely crazy. Yeah. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd. weekdays in noon Eastern 9 a.m. Pacific. Get Bell Pure Fiber Internet with Crave, Netflix, and Disney Plus from $94 a month. Price guaranteed for two years on internet with a two-year term and auto pay credit. Visit bell.ca for details and to check availability. Bell, connection is everything. When I was 14 years old, I was kidnapped and held captive for nine months.

I survived, and I've spent my life exploring how other people survive what should have destroyed them. I'm Elizabeth Smart, and these are the Survivor Files. I just remember this low, taunting voice next to my ear saying, shut up, don't say anything. Every week, I'm with survivors who live through the unthinkable. I knew if he woke up, without a doubt, he was going to hurt me. I started feeling that there was someone at the end of my bed, and I just started screaming. They are abducted, stalked, controlled, and nearly silenced. But these aren't stories about what's taken from them.

They're stories about what it takes to make it out alive. Listen to the Survivor Files with Elizabeth Smart on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. If your bookshelf and your For You page are equally important to your personality, welcome home. This is Prose Society, the weekly podcast that's part bookbookbookbook. Club, part group chat for thought daughters, pop culture obsessives, and anyone who thinks Pride and Prejudice and Love Island deserve the same level of discourse. I'm Eli Rallo and every week we're connecting the dots between books, the internet, and the conversations everyone can't stop having. I'm going to have to look up this story. I'm obsessed. So I'm obsessed. From bestselling authors and your

favorite book talk creators to the latest pop culture moments, nothing is off the table. It's like if you can hide some real messages inside compelling characters, then that is a Trojan horse. Whether you're looking for literary deep dives, smart pop culture conversations, or a community of readers who love to think a little too much, you're in the right place. Listen to Pro Society on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. See you between the pages. Hey, this is Hayes Davenport. And Sean Clements. We host the podcast Hollywood Handbook on the Big Money Players Network.

Our show is extremely accessible to first-time listeners. Each week, we talk to someone in show business, aka The Biz, and try to help them with their careers and see what they have to offer us. Everyone has a good time, and no one gets mad at their publicists for letting them do our show. We've had a lot of great guests like Sarah Sherman. Actually, can you help me shape this? How about we flip it on his head, right? How about we flip this around?

What is the surprise woman? Actually, you think is the straight man is actually the one who's acting weird. Adam Scott, this entire time you've been expecting Adam Sandler to come to visit the show. I would never expect. I would never set expectations for something like that to happen. If the universe allows for something like that to happen, I'm open to it. I'm always going to accept. You know, Danny McBride, fine.

Yeah, it's all this fragile masculinity exuding. I could smell it walking down the hallway, to be honest with you. I was like, is that weed? Nope, it's fragile masculinity. Ben Stiller, no. Because a lot of times out of context, people don't get it or even know what a circle is. You know what I mean? They're like, oh, they're like, oh, what's just a state.

Everyone's so dumb. And fake. Right, fake and also not interested. or just like, oh, I've got my life. I don't care about your life. And a lot of other big shots that wouldn't be where they are without us. Oh, and by the way, Will Ferrell told us personally he loves the show and he wants to be a guest on every episode, but he's just so busy.

Listen to Hollywood Handbook on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Colin Wright, Colin Raw on top of hour number two, Matt Hasselbeck stops by Albert Breer here as well today. I watch an unhealthy amount of NFL preseason football. Most of it irrelevant, but I do enjoy it. So J.J. McCarthy is something, somebody that we're all kind of paying attention to. He was in a Drake May, Caleb Williams, Jaden Daniels, Bo Nicks, Michael Pennix, first round draft class. I was never a huge fan. I think he's more of a college quarterback than a pro quarterback.

and I had called many people inside the league. I was warned by a quarterback coach that confidence was shaky, and there were some concerns about his game working at the next level. He was five for ten this weekend against Baltimore. He also got banged up again where he winced coming off the field. And he missed a receiver Miles Price on an easy sideline throw. Then he missed him here badly on a should-be-be-be-reled. you know, just some of this stuff is just not good enough.

This is the one that kind of everybody was talking about. It's an automatic touchdown. So I always say you got to watch out when really good coaches can't solve players. Red flag. So Kyle Shanahan could not solve Trey Lance. Probably not going to work. Shane Steichen could not solve Anthony Richardson. Almost got worse.

Warning sign. Kevin O'Connell's brilliant. He can't solve this thing. And, you know, listen, everybody wants to have a really cool bar, but if John Tapper comes to fix yours and fails, sell the bar. It's not going to work. Either you're stubborn or the location's bad. It's not going to work.

So with great players, like, say, Max Crosby, it doesn't matter how bad the Raider coaches have been. Miles Garrett can live in the turmoil of Cleveland, Aaron Donald, Max Crosby, you know, Justin, Jefferson, great players are going to be fine. Coaching becomes much less relevant when you're a great all-time player. But most coaches, you know, especially quarterbacks, 89.5 percent of quarterbacks drafted never become an elite franchise quarterback.

So J.J. McCarthy falls and they need him to work badly, right? It's like Will Levis at Tennessee. They wanted it to work badly. And they couldn't make it work. So there's not a market for Will Levis. So Will Levis, J.J. McCarthy are, you know, you see this a lot. A.J. McCarron, Tim Tebow, Johnny Mansell. They're legends in college. And they deserve all the love. They're all-time grades at their university.

He's an all-time Michigan quarterback. One a natty. But it just doesn't work at the pro level. Pro level's faster. It's better coaching. And, you know, I just, and I'm not trying to be mean-spirited, but there's not a single trait that he has. Size, average, durability. He just, he just, you know, I just. just gets banged up a lot. Accuracy all over the map. He's erratic. And when you watch those highlights,

I mean, this is with Kevin O'Connell. This is with all that practice. And I thought it was really telling that Kyler Murray came in. And before a single game, they named him starter. And again, this is a guy in J.J. McCarthy. They are really trying to make it work. So the fact that before they played an actual preseason game, they're like, yeah, it's Kyle's job.

Kyler's job. That's problematic. So again, I don't think he's a bad kid. I know they're trying. Here's J.J. McCarthy after. It's just throws I got to make. You know, call great plays. But at the end of the day, I know I can make those throws.

And, you know, it was great to have that experience logged in and that data logged in to be able to make that throw next time. I wouldn't say I felt sped up. It's just, you know, sometimes you hit them, sometimes you miss. And, you know, it's just one of those things what preseason's all about. You get it out now and you, you know, log that feeling, like I said, and make sure you hear it the next time. Now, it's very easy to say, well, Colin, what about Sam Darnold? No, I said multiple times on the air. If you put together a three-minute Sam Darnold Jets reel, there were some unbelievable plays.

J. Mack would tell you that. There's a three-minute reel. You're like, holy hell, rolling left, throwing deep right, you're like, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. That's not what J.J. McCarthy. You couldn't do a 45-second reel. Like, there's nothing here. You're trying to find some. the bone. The second thing is the Jets were poorly run and poorly coached. The Vikings aren't.

So I don't bail on every quarterback that initially struggles. I mean, I stayed with Trevor Lawrence for years. I'm like he's tall. He moves. His arm is good. He could speed up his delivery. But like, for years, I was like, Trevor's got something. He needs the right coach. He got it and he got to the playoffs. I'm not somebody that just bails on quarterbacks. I've been saying I love Joe Milton, the backup in New England. Now the backup in Dallas. I'm like, that guy. kid's got an arm. Six-five can move with a huge arm. There are guys in this league that I like more than a lot of people.

I like Sodor Sanders more. He hasn't been great. I like Shadur more than the market. But this is one of those. You got to give me something. Right? You got to give me something. Like I'm critical of Brock Purdy, but I also think I've been told by people in the league

that Brock is such a smart kid that shoulders up. he is like in an elite class of two or three or four guys in the league sees the field gets it out cognitive Sam Darnold says smartest player he's ever played with is Brock Purdy like Sam's like that guy it's like Andrew Luck it is you know a brilliant mind so that's where we are you know you hope it worked

and it doesn't I saw I'll get into this later do you guys see this story over the weekend DeQuan Wright is going to get waived by the Browns. It says here, to be waived by the Browns, he's going to go back to college football and join LSU, which I don't blame LSU, I don't blame LSU, I don't blame Lane Kiffin, and I don't blame the kid. There's an opening and, right, the downside of the NIL, like, and I think the NIL is great.

But when you create a new business or you create opportunity, there's always unintended benefits and unintended consequences. And when you created NIL and you pay a lot of money, what you have to make sure is that the NCAA is organized and sets in stone and understanding that once you leave college, you can't come back. But the NCAA tends to be reactive, not proactive, kind of toothless, below average leadership, in my opinion. So, you know, I'm not blaming the kid.

I mean, if you can go make $600,000 compared to sitting, you know, getting cut in the NFL, why not? And I don't blame Lane Kiffin. There's an opening. I was told by John Middilkoff, my buddy, who comes on the show, fills in for JMAQ, there are college teams in the Big Ten that are leaving roster spots open for this very thing. They're leaving one or two roster spots open. just in case a kid for Jacksonville, you know, gets dropped.

J-Mack, we got 15 seconds or anything? We got way more on this, Colin. You know, you don't blame Lane Kiffin? What about the five tight ends who were jockeyed for position? And now we're going to lose out to an NFL player. You don't see anything wrong with that? Oh, I see a lot wrong with it. I'm not blaming Lane.

I survived nine months in captivity. And I've spent my life exploring how other people survived. what should have destroyed them. I'm Elizabeth Smart, and these are the Survivor Files. Every week, I'm with survivors who live through the unthinkable, abducted, stalked, controlled, and nearly silenced. These are stories about what it takes to make it out alive. Listen to the Survivor Files with Elizabeth Smart on the IHeart Radio app,

Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. If your bookshelf and your For You page are equally important to your personality, welcome home. Pro Society is a weekly podcast that's part book club, part group chat for anyone who thinks Pride and Prejudice and Love Island deserve the same level of discourse. Each week, we're connecting the dots between books, the internet, and pop culture with your favorite writers, book talk creators, and plenty of overthought opinions. Yeah, I'm obsessed. I'm obsessed. Listen to Pro Society on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. I'm Hoda Kotby, host of the podcast, Joy 101 with Hoda Kotby.

You know, I'm always searching for inspiration and useful tools to maximize joy. Like when my friend Henry Winkler offered advice to aspiring actors and really anybody hoping to stand out. You're not hired just to fill time and space. You're hired to fill the space with you. Listen to Joy 101 with Hoda Kotby on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, this is Hayes, Davenport. And Sean Clements. We host the podcast, Hollywood.

Handbook. Each week we talk to someone in show business and try to help them with their careers and see what they have to offer us. Everyone has a good time and no one gets mad at their publicists for letting them do our show. We've had a lot of great guests like Sarah Sherman, Adam Scott, Danny McBride, Ben Stillard, and a lot of other big shots that wouldn't be where they are without us. Listen to Hollywood Handbook on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. This is an IHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human.