January 21, 2026 • 34 mins
Colin Cowherd questions the direction of the Pittsburgh Steelers as they search for their first head coach in nearly 20 years. He believes they’re increasingly out of touch and what makes an elite head coach in today’s NFL.
He explains why the New York Giants are in prime position to bounce back as a playoff contender in the NFC under new head coach John Harbaugh
NFL reporter Dianna Russini joins the show with the latest on the head coaching search across the NFL including who the Bills will pair with QB Josh Allen. She also provides the latest on what the Eagles will do with WR AJ Brown
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Thanks for listening to the Best of the Herd podcast.
Be sure to catch us live every weekday on Fox
Sports Radio in noon to three Eastern nine am to
noon Pacific. Find your local station for The Herd at
Fox Sports Radio dot com, or stream us live every
day on the iHeartRadio app by searching Fox Sports Radio
or FSR.
Speaker 2 (00:19):
This is the Best of the Herd with Colin Cowver
on Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 1 (00:27):
Here we go, busy day, lots and lots to talk about.
We got a good one today. We're alive in Chicago
thirty felt like I was in Santropei when I woke
up this morning. It's the Herd wherever you may be
and however you may be listening. Thanks for making us
(00:48):
part of your day. So I saw his story, Mike
McCarthy to the Steelers Blairs, the headline why he'd be
the right fit for Mike Tomlin, right fit in Pittsburgh
to replace Mike Tomlin. Okay, we get at Pittsburgh. You
(01:08):
have blue collar people, you like your own. You don't
have to keep reminding us Mike McCarthy isn't just older,
he's old school. That was Mike mctomlin, right tone, def
to one side of the ball, a lot of penalties.
Five years McCarthy was in Dallas, they averaged seven penalties
a game, led the NFL. You know who has the
(01:30):
fewest penalties in the NFL this year, Sean McVay, Kyle Shanahan.
In fact, the four least penalized teams, four young offensive
coaches McVeigh, Shanahan, Zach Taylor, Dave Canalis. That's the NFL.
And just because you're older doesn't mean you have to
(01:54):
be old. Kurt Signetti is sixty four, just one of Natty.
Have you heard about how he recruits and his view
on athletes. It's very new school. Like McVeigh, his teams
don't get penalized, fewest penalties, fbs, they don't drop passes
(02:14):
like mcvay's teams. They don't fumble. Signetti maybe sixty four.
He is all about quarterback playing details. Richard Branson late seventies,
still cool, still hip, still with it. Jensen Wang sixty two,
founder of Nvidia. I mean innovative, sharp, progressive. Mike Tomlin
(02:40):
Mike McCarthy are kind of the same guy. Their football
teams are loose, a lot of penalties. What works in
the NFL today is young coaches, Demiko Ryans McVeigh, young
coaches who think young, making trades in season, Howie Rose
(03:01):
moving off tone, deaf coaches, pivoting off quarterbacks and players,
finding your next quarterback and putting him on a rookie
deal for four or five years as you build a roster.
All four things Steelers haven't done well. Mike Tomlin. Before
Aaron Rodgers got there, they had a penalty problem. Aaron
(03:21):
cleaned up the offensive side of that and didn't throw
as many picks. Suddenly they look detailed. Now that's Aaron Rodgers.
I got nothing against Mike McCarthy and Pittsburgh, but Pittsburgh
doesn't do this hiring thing and they get a lot
of credit for it. Pittsburgh is loyal. The problem is
they're like the guy who was married for thirty five
years and now gets divorced and is single and thinks
(03:46):
app is short for appetizer at Chili's, Like he doesn't
understand dating apps. They didn't have iPhones social media when
he got married. And that's Pittsburgh, Tomlin and McCarthy. That's
the same guy. Good coach, little light, little loose on
the details. I mean McCarthy's cowboy teams awful with clock management,
(04:07):
bad with penalties. Go look at mcveigh's team this week
in Chicago in horrible weather for a warm weather team.
Zero drop passes, zero penalties, zero turnovers. That's what's happening
in the NFL right now. It's changed. So and the
Steelers they don't just date head coaches, they say I
love you and propose after the first date. Like whoever
(04:28):
they hire, they're here for fifteen years, ten minimum. And
I got nothing against Mike McCarthy. I wouldn't put him
in the elite seven, eight nine top coaches, but he's
in that second tier with Tomlin. Very very good, but
old school. Again. I'm not anti, I'm not agis. I'm older,
gray hair, lots of it. See. But you gotta be young,
(04:50):
you know, you gotta think young. That's what's happened to
gms in this league. You gotta pivot off guys, you
gotta make in season trades. Cincinnati. I don't know how
old the owner is. They think old. Philadelphia. I don't
know how old the owner is, they think young. So
I just look at McCarthy, Tomlin, Okay, I know you
(05:10):
like Pittsburgh guys, one of us. I get it. That's
not working and winning in this league right now. You
can be a defensive coach, Demiko Ryans, Mike McDonald young,
sharp with it, moving off people that don't work, making moves, trades,
at least understand offense, have a feel for it, not
(05:34):
tone deaf to it. So I know it. Just Pittsburgh's like, listen,
the way we're doing things works, let's go get the
next version, kind of an offensive version of Tomlin. That's
not it. Here's Art Rooney on the Steelers coaching serve.
Speaker 3 (05:51):
Nowadays, there are a number of protocols we have to
follow that are sort of really designed to slow the
process down.
Speaker 1 (05:59):
And so as I say, it'll probably take at least
a few weeks.
Speaker 3 (06:04):
Can I sign up for another Chuck nol or another
Bill Kauer or another Mike Tomlin. Sure that you know
somebody that we feel fits that mold would be great,
But you know, for now, we're not going to kind
of narrow the box too much.
Speaker 1 (06:18):
So when Jim Harbaugh got hired by the Chargers, Jim
Harbaugh's in his sixty but he came off and always
has is very boyish, very young John Harbaugh similarly gets
hired by the New York Giants. I mean, he feels
like he's thirty seven years old. He is so excited.
Everything out of his mouth. He's so excited. And I've
(06:39):
said the New York Jet. When you list the teams
that won four games last year, tell me which one
doesn't feel the same. Jets, Arizona, Tennessee, Vegas, New York Giants.
The Giants had seven one score losses. In fact, they
led three really solid teams Denver, Chicago, and Detroit by
double digits in the fourth quarter. They got leads, they
(07:00):
couldn't keep them. The Giants had a better point differential
than the Carolina Panthers, who won a division. The New
York Giants are a right tackle, probably another receiver, and
a couple of dudes in the secondary from being an
eleven win team. They have needs. The whole league does.
Outside of Seattle. Everybody's got needs. But there are good
(07:22):
losses in football. When the Bears lost to the Rams,
that's a good loss. You may have lost to the
best team and the best coach in football. And I
mean you go into the offseason thinking we can play
with anybody. We were one play to play with anybody.
The Texans losing to the Patriots is a bad loss.
They don't even know if they like their quarterback anymore.
(07:44):
So you can be a four or five win team.
Look at it and go. We got to get a
right tackle, another receiver, probably a tight end, and some
secondary help. But I mean watching Jim Harbaugh get hired
by the Chargers. He's boyish, and my theme today is
you can be old. You gotta think young. You can
be in your sixties or seventies in the coach. You can't.
(08:07):
I'm okay with it, but you gotta. You gotta be
somebody that wakes up optimistic, not cynical, that understands offense,
can appreciate defense. Here's John Harball sounding young and like
the right choice on Jackson Dartis quarterback.
Speaker 4 (08:25):
You build your team around your quarterback. I mean that's
you build your team around your players and what they
do well. And i'd like. I like the way he plays,
malic his talent, skill set, all things he accomplished. But
more than that, I like I like who he is
and what he's about to me is about football. I
mean this, this young guy loves football. He wants to
talk football all the time, and you know, and uh,
and that's kind of what I like doing too. So
(08:46):
I think we're gonna have a lot of great conversations.
I can't wait to get started with him.
Speaker 1 (08:51):
So the other thing that's important and instructive here, when
you hire John Harball in the NFC East, you meetly
first day on the job. Today have the best coach
in the division, and yet they were only a four
win team. If Las Vegas hires a coach with Andy Reid,
(09:11):
Jim Harbaugh and Sean Payton, you probably still have the
fourth best coach in the division. If Arizona hires a
coach today with McVeigh, Mike McDonald and Shanahan, you probably
have the fourth best coach in the division. Even if
you get a guy that works, John Harbaugh today doesn't
(09:32):
just feel right this morning, best coach in the division.
And we don't know Jackson Dart you can at least
argue if he stays out of the blue tent, because
Jade and Daniel's injuries now are a concern. Do you
have the best quarterback in the division. We'll know by Thanksgiving.
Next Thanksgiving, we'll have a feel for it. So it
(09:55):
would I've said this about the Giants. Four win teams
are not all of the same, playoff losses are not all
the same. I mean, Denver feels terrible, but they just
watched bo Nicks out play Josh Allen. If you're the
Denver Broncos win or lose this week, you go into
the offseason thinking we're there, We're ready to hoist a trophy.
(10:18):
And the Giants at four wins that do not confuse
them with Tennessee or an Arizona or a Las Vegas
or the Jets. Not the say John Harbaugh could have
taken a lot of gigs. Why did he step up
really quickly, see this one and take it. Okay, We've
got a lot of stuff to then. And generally speaking,
(10:42):
I think whatever the country thinks, whatever you think as fans,
I'm usually aligned with you. I've said, there's a couple
of things that you love that I don't care about.
The home run derby. It's like batting practice. You love it.
I don't get the Pro Bowl. Every year I see
(11:03):
the TV rating for the Pro Bowl. I've never watched one.
It's a practice football. I'd rather watch an exhibition game
from a team that I'll monitor mostly though, what you like.
I like. You like March Madness, you like the Masters,
you like the NFL, you like what I like. But
here's where you and I totally, absolutely, inarguably disagree. There
(11:25):
is one thing that I think and you will totally disagree,
and it just so happens I'm right.
Speaker 2 (11:32):
And that's next. In Chicago, It's the Herd. Be sure
to catch live editions of The Herd weekdays and neon
eastern non am Pacific on Fox Sports Radio FS one
and the iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 1 (11:47):
Hey is Capino and Rich from Fox Sports Radio Now.
Speaker 5 (11:50):
In addition to hearing us live weekdays from five to
seven pm Eastern two to four Pacific on Fox Sports Radio,
We're excited to announce a brand new YouTube channel for
the show.
Speaker 1 (12:00):
YEP, that's right.
Speaker 5 (12:01):
You can now watch Covino and Rich live on YouTube
every day. All you gotta do. Search Covino and Rich
FSR on YouTube again, go to YouTube search kobno En
Rich FSR. Check us out on YouTube, subscribe, hit that
thumbs up icon, and come and away.
Speaker 1 (12:18):
I said before the break Diana Russini, top of Next Hour,
Phil Sims do Today, I said, as I sent the
show to break is that you and I mostly agree
on everything. I mean we do. I mean day to day.
We may disagree on a football pick. You like the
home run Derby more than I do in the Pro Bowl,
but buy in large what you like I like, and
the way you think is mostly how I think. I
(12:41):
would say. More than anything, people come up to me
and go, hey, I think your show is pretty common sense.
Believe it or not, that's what they say. But here's
something where I just totally disagree. There's too much fear
mongering out there. I saw this quote major League Baseball
owners are enraged by Kyle Tucker to the Dodgers deal.
They will push for a salary cap no matter what.
(13:03):
It took a Kyle Tucker move to outrage you. Cub
Fans complained about them all year, they wanted them out
of town. Did you forget about the Angels spending three
hundred and eighty million dollars fifteen years ago or close
to it on Albert Poolholtz and Josh Hamilton, which if
you look at what that's worth today with inflation, it's
(13:25):
five hundred and forty million. That didn't bother anybody, welly
cause the Angels are poorly run. It didn't change outcomes.
The Yankees in twenty ten the four highest paid players
check check check check four Yankees four for four. But
they're not considered well run. And even though they spent
a ton every year and a half for thirty years
in the last ten to fifteen, it doesn't change outcomes.
(13:47):
That doesn't bother you. The Dodgers aren't just rich. That's
not it. Let's keep it one hundred. They're rich and
exceptionally well run and winning the World Series. That's what
bothers you. Juan Soto Yankees Mets didn't bother you because
he went to the Mets. They'll gag they're the Mets.
(14:09):
Studies have shown you can be rich and unattractive, or
handsome and poor, and men aren't necessarily jealous of you.
But if you're rich and good looking, study show men
hate you. And that's the Dodgers. They are rich, good looking,
driving a convertible, own a tech company, and keep being
(14:32):
the richest guy in the sport, and it pisses You'll off.
It's not just about the money. Kyle Tucker outrages you.
Mookie Vetts was arguably the best player in the American League.
Not a peep. Josh Hamilton, Albert Pulhols, Angels, not a peep.
Twenty ten Yankees had all the highest paid players. I
don't know nobody in New York was outraged. Steve Cohens
(14:55):
trying to put together an all star team Crickets. Kyle
Tucker in playoff career is a two thirty hitter. Chicago
complained about them all year. That's the guy that sets
you off. No, what sets you off is that Game
seven winning back to back World Series titles. Last year.
(15:15):
I had Dave Roberts on the show, the Dodger manager,
and I asked him about it. The Dodgers, like everybody said,
are ruining baseball.
Speaker 6 (15:23):
Baseball viewership is at an all time high. Baseball players
are better than they've ever been.
Speaker 1 (15:29):
We are going to have more.
Speaker 6 (15:30):
Eyeballs watching this World Series than ever because of the
country of Canada, US and Japan and beyond right, So
obviously the Dodgers are not ruining baseball. It's in a
great state. And I was just kind of taking a
dig at these crazy people that say that what we do,
and I think we do it really well, we're ruining baseball.
Speaker 1 (15:50):
I don't remember a Game seven in Major League Baseball
in a division series, whatever series you know, NLCS, ALCS
World Series of Game seven. I don't remember a game
seven that rivetingden last year, glued every pitch Kyle Tucker
outrages you. That's the one. This morning I wrote down,
(16:12):
in order, who I think are the top ten Dodger players.
I could be off on this, but I wrote a
list of the top ten Dodger players. I had Kyle
Tucker at eight, Shohey Mooki, Yoshi Freeman, Edwin Diaz, the
best reliever in baseball, Blake Snell, went healthy, Will Smith,
(16:35):
great catcher, Kyle Tucker, Roki and Tiascar Hernandez. By the way,
ta Oscar Hernandez. I had recently at dinner with Tom Ricketts,
the Cubs owner. What a great guy, and I asked
him about the Dodgers privately, but now I'll say it publicly.
He had nothing but respect and admiration. He goes to
the best run team in baseball, he goes, they happened
to be the richest team in baseball right now. He
(16:55):
goes to the best run team in baseball, he goes,
I have total admiration for what they do Andrew Friedman down.
They just know what they're doing. We should not be
eating and biting away at them. They got a better
TV deal, better in R and D. And he was
very proud of the Cubs. I've had a great offseason,
Fregman at third, got another top starting pitcher, Kyle Tucker left.
(17:17):
Cubs will be better. But what you should be mad
about if you're a fan, isn't the Dodgers. It's Taoscar Hernandez,
the tenth best Dodger. Maybe it's Mac Muncie, but I
think Taoscar hernanz is a beast. He's been available twice
to the sport and your billionaire owner didn't get him.
And he's a great player for the Dodgers at a
very reasonable number. Saint Louis could afford him. The Pirates
(17:40):
billionaire could afford him, The Mariners could afford him, Detroit
could afford him, Cleveland could afford him. I'm not sure
if the A's could afford me. The point being a
great player, he's been available to The Dodgers have signed
him twice. Max Munsey was an A they let him go.
Oh Tawny was an angel. He didn't win enough games
it's this idea that Kyle Tucker created the outrage. Let's
(18:06):
be totally honest about that. If the Dodgers weren't winning,
you'd be laughing at them. They're winning, and you're ticked off.
People do not like. Studies have also illustrated this. People
do not like when they feel other people are separating
from them. Guys don't like that you can make more
than me by a little and it does feel like
the Dodgers have separated. It should be noted seventh game
(18:31):
beat the Blue Jays. Blue Jays for most of the
series felt like the better team. The Blue Jays more
consistently hit than the Dodgers did. They got some breaks,
they got good managing, they got guys that step up.
This idea that I'm supposed to Kyle Tucker, that's what
really set a sport off. It's like, I hear this
about college football constantly. Oh, it's in chaos. I just
(18:54):
watched the best national championship game I can remember. It
was in chaos when Baman and Georgia and Clemson. Every
year we're in the National Championship for about fifteen years.
That was trouble at tenance down, ratings down, baseball is
in an incredible spot. Well what about the Pirates? What
about him? They couldn't compete when steinbrennerran the Yankees. They
haven't been good since the seventies and Willie Stargell. I mean,
(19:19):
weren't they great in the late seventies when I was
a kid growing up in the mid seventies. I can
name the whole infield. You want me to go, Manny
saying Gin you know you, Al Oliver, Rennie Stennett, Taveris
at short they were great. They haven't been great consistently forever.
It's not a Dodgers issue. Well, what about the Cardinals?
Canne for Saint Louis has been dying as a city
for twenty years. They've lost fifteen fortune five hundred companies
(19:41):
in forty years. They lost an NFL team. Saint Louis
is dried up as a city. It's Hartford with an orange. Fucks.
Don't blame the Dodgers for that, of the Yankees for that,
or Steve Cohen for that. I feel strongly about this.
You and I totally disagree on this stuff. If the
Dodgers would have lost to the Blue Jays, you'd be like, yeah,
(20:01):
keep buying those players. You laughed at the Mets, didn't
you laugh at the Mets this year? It's funny they
spent all that money. They stunk. They got the richest owner,
not the Dodgers.
Speaker 2 (20:12):
One more heard. The Herd streams twenty four hours a day,
seven days a week within the iHeartRadio app. Search Herd
to listen live or on demand whenever you like.
Speaker 1 (20:22):
Diana Russini with that is now joining us live Man.
There's a lot going on the Athletic Senior NFL Insider,
So there's a bunch of different stories out there. Won
by Vic Carucci, who's been in Buffalo forever, about Sean
McDermott telling the owner and the GM Hey, I don't
love the personnel. I mean, was the firing of Sean
McDermott completely unexpected or had you heard for five or
(20:46):
six or seven weeks? It was tense? What do we
know today?
Speaker 7 (20:50):
Yeah? I don't think ownership was as irritable or frustrated
with it until the end of the season, or at
least towards the end of the season. That is when
words to get out, probably like week seventeen, it was
starting to get around. Keep an eye on Buffalo. If
they're one and done, look for McDermott to be out.
(21:11):
And so then obviously when they won, it died down
a bit, and then Saturday night is when the conversation
started again. And at the Athletic we actually already wrote
a piece that Sean McDermott was getting fired because at
that point I'd found out that that ownership was really
they were done with it. They were sick of the
eight years with Josh Allen and just not getting over
(21:33):
the hump. And I really truly don't think it was
lack of respect or belief in Sean McDermott. It's just
when you look at it historically, if a coach has
not won within the first ten years of him being
a head coach, it's tough and some of you don't
just think a change something new. On top of the fact,
you're watching a lot of these organizations with this new
(21:55):
breadth of fresh air. These new guys come in. Obviously
was seing in Chicago. We saw on Jacksonville CEE in Boston.
You see these guys come in and change the entire team,
and I think that's what's tempting.
Speaker 1 (22:05):
Well, Josh Allen, have any say in the next coach, Dana,
he absolutely will.
Speaker 7 (22:11):
They're gonna have, wouldn't you, Right, Like Josh Allen is
the team and I do think his influence here is
going to be important, and I think his overall comfort
with who this head coach is going to be is
going to be a big factor in this, which is
why I do think they're gonna wind up leaning towards
more offensive minded type coaches because, look, they made a
(22:33):
move because they know the window is going to just get,
you know, tighter and tighter here, uh And that's why
they moved on from Sean. So patience is already uh
not something that they have, and they're gonna they're gonna
want a coach to come in here. I think they're
gonna lean more towards someone who's done it and get
this thing going because they're gonna want to be in
the super Bowl next year.
Speaker 1 (22:53):
Okay, what do you make of the reports or suggestions?
What are you hearing about Bill Belichick in Buffalo?
Speaker 7 (23:01):
Nothing. Bill doesn't have a market in the NFL, you know,
so I think, look, he has been his people, including
Coach Belichick, have been very open with people media, with
people in football. They want to stay in North Carolina,
so I think he obviously has information. You're not doing
(23:22):
that unless you know, you don't have a shot. And
I have yet to have a conversation in this coaching cycle,
even last one of anyone who seriously was considering bringing
Bill in. I didn't mean to come off mean by
the way. That was just more of like the facts.
Speaker 1 (23:36):
You know. Well, sometimes Bill was me, I mean, it's
not the end of the world.
Speaker 8 (23:40):
Oh Bill's Bill's real mean Bill. I've had some tough
press conferences. Let me tell you. I remember sitting there.
I was young, My shirt was soaked. I was so afraid.
Speaker 7 (23:52):
I asked him if he ever considered treating Jimmy No,
if you regretted trading Jimmy Garoppolo after that practice, remember
when Tom ham his finger helmet like cut his finger,
And that was the question I asked in that post
to practice, and it was it was. It was memorable,
it was awful.
Speaker 1 (24:13):
I love John Harble. The hardballs are so they get
they love football so much they can't even hide it.
They're like kids, They're like kids. I got to tell
you something. I've been critical to the Giants for a
long time. I think they're good. Now, I think they
need to right tackle a tight end some secondary help.
Are you surprised? What was the word around the league
(24:33):
in your sources when Harball immediately jumped on this opportunity.
Did people think it was this good of a job
because John's like, not no hesitation, he wanted that job.
Speaker 7 (24:42):
Yeah, and a lot of candidates felt the same way
about this Giants roster. This was one of the golden
ones just based on some of these players and obviously
the history the ownership. Look, you, they haven't won in
a while. We know it hasn't been great with Joe
Shane at the Helm, but ownership is always been really
fair to their head coaches. And while they're involved, they're
(25:03):
not hands on telling you what to do. They're just
going to listen and trust you, and that's valuable. It
was all about ownership and quarterback this cycle, and it
continues to be as we have these openings. So John
I think brings accountability. He's going to bring vision, focus
and really an adult in the building. That is what
someone there said to me, Like, that is what they're
(25:24):
going to get in New York. Yes, we joke that
he's a little bit of a football labberdoodle. But he
also knows what he's doing. And I think the New
York Giants are very excited to hand him the keys.
Speaker 1 (25:34):
Yeah, I would be excited. I think they're close. Okay,
the Steelers we joked earlier like they feel like, you know,
guys married for thirty five years, then all of a
sudden he's single, and he doesn't know. He thinks apps
are like appetizers at Chile's. He doesn't know what dating
apps are. They don't look for coaches, they don't know
what they're doing. They don't do this ever, And all
(25:54):
of a sudden, the Giants to know how to do it.
Atlanta knows how to do it. Like some of these organizations.
They're pretty good at the let's go, let's get a
coaching search. Pittsburgh doesn't do it. I'm hearing Mike McCarthy
and I'm thinking, well, he's a Pittsburgh guy. It's an
easy one. What are the Steelers at.
Speaker 7 (26:12):
I made a joke during the Giants hardball situation. Someone
had texted me that the Giants were behind on the contract,
like they weren't getting it done. I'm like, don't they
just have a template ready to go? They do this
all the time, Like how hard could it beat them
to a contract?
Speaker 1 (26:27):
In New York?
Speaker 7 (26:27):
You're always doing it. Where Pittsburgh, you know, they're like
looking an old files, like how do you do this again?
And look, here's what I know from that ownership especially,
they're going to go with what they know right and
what they're comfortable doing. And look what they did with
Mike Tomlin. They took a young, you know, black defensive
coach with tons of energy and they took a shot
(26:50):
on him and it worked pretty darn well. So yes,
I can see them gravitating towards a guy who's done
it before because it's comfortable. This isn't a fantastic roster.
They don't have a quarterback. This is one of the
jobs that I don't believe a lot of these coaches
that are hungry to get in are are fighting just
because they're not. First of all, you got a filling
for Mike Tomin. That's tough, but you're not coming in
(27:11):
here and winning. And I don't necessarily believe that that's
the way the franchise is seeing it. I don't think
they think that this they're in rebuild, so you got
to be able to have someone to come in here
and be able to communicate like, look, we have a
lot of work to do. Anthony Weaver is the name
I want you to watch. I think he is somebody
(27:32):
that both the Baltimore Ravens and remember Anthony Weaver. He's
the defensive coordinator for the Miami Dolphin. He is a
former Raven himself. He's a former coach for the Ravens.
John Harbaugh overpassed him to be the DC. He left
Baltimore went to Miami. That's where he is now. So
he is up for the job in Baltimore, and he's
up for the job in Pittsburgh, and I think he's
got a really good shot of getting one of these.
(27:54):
Buffalo also recently put in for him, so he's going
to be meeting with him as well. And doesn't it
just make a lot of sense if you're going to
go with, hey, this is what we've done before, young hungry,
culture builder, player guy. But of course you know he's
going to have to try to beat up Brian Flores
and Mike McCarthy and also these coaches that are playing
this weekend. That's a whole nother layer to this.
Speaker 1 (28:16):
I'm kind of fascinated with the Raiders job because Fernando
Mendoza is a franchise quarterback. How great? I don't nobody's
darn good. Brock Towers, Ashton Genty. They got to get
their old line fixed. Old Colton Miller I think is
still around a off injury. They got to get the
old line fixed for Mendoza. But their defense is okay.
Brady's on the sideline of the National Championship game like
(28:37):
everybody's watching. I don't know if it's a good job.
I know this that when you get a really talented
quarterback and a rookie deal for four or five years,
you can stack the roster, and that usually Denver with
bow Nicks, Drake May, New England justin Herbert Initially, it's
usually a pretty good thing if you get the right coach.
Do we know anything on Vegas?
Speaker 7 (28:58):
Yeah, First of all, you got to make sure you
hit and we got to hope that if the Raiders
do decide to go in that direction, that he turns
out to be the players that you just listed. You
never know, right, So you've got that gamble. But look,
the Raiders are not one of these jobs that that
I'd put him in. The same category. I'd put the
Steelers above them actually in terms of guys that want
(29:19):
that job. And I think it has to just do
with the fact that it's been a place to die
over the last few years. You know, it's been hard
to have success. You've got Max Crosby who's disgruntled. What's
his future going to be in Vegas? Right? He's the
face of that place. If you don't have him, who
do you have in that locker room policing and setting
(29:39):
the tone of what you want and the expectations. So look,
I think that they're leaning more towards offensive sided, offensive
minded type coaches. Right. So Davis Webb is a name
I keep hearing. Obviously, he's the Denver Broncos quarterback coach.
Are you going to bring in a first time head
coach with a brand new quarterback? You know, that's a
that's a big challenge. But Tom Brady's running the show there.
(30:01):
He is the one having in all the say on
what they're going to do next year, which which I
think could could be a good thing. You know, the
jury's out on whether or.
Speaker 1 (30:08):
Not he can pick right, all right, agent, there's so many.
Speaker 7 (30:13):
Openings, right, we could go we could have a whole
show on just this because there's so much.
Speaker 1 (30:18):
Yeah, I mean, let me throw this out there. And
I thought the Ravens were the best job until Buffalo
opened up. And I still think the raven Steve Bshotti
is great, Roster is very very good, O line stable
Lamar Jackson, who I mean, jesse Mentor feels like the play,
but I'm not. I'm not hearing about it. What's the
Baltimore situation?
Speaker 7 (30:36):
Well, jesse Mentor's with them right now actually, so we'll
see how that pans out. I love to know what
his plan is at OC. That's all that matters, is
all that matters in Baltimore right now. Who is going
to coach Lamar Jackson? They Steve Ashott was very transparent.
They're all in, right, They're all in because they fired
John Harbaugh and they want to make this work. They
(30:57):
want to get to the super Bowl, and this is
another organization that's looking at it as a window. Right,
we got to get the most out of them. So
while I understand that you're bringing the leader of men
and that's important that you have the CEO, the plan
for OC has to be there, right, So Cliff Kingsbury
is a name that's out there. I can tell you
I know for a fact that Lamar Jackson and those
receivers would like Cliff Kingsbury to run their offense. They
(31:20):
have shown support, They've been vocal about it. They've been
part of some of these interviews too. Lamar Jackson's part
of these. He's zooming in. He's in touch with the
decision makers of what he likes, who he's liked, and so,
you know, we'll see how this shakes out. But I
think the you know, Anthony Weavers one of those again
that I mentioned a few minutes ago, that is going
(31:41):
to be in the running for this job, and from
what I understand, Cliff Kingsbury would be his OC. And
I think that would be a pretty tremendous fit when
you think about what Cliff Kingsbury did with Kyler Murray.
Now now insert Lamar Jackson, one of the best quarterbacks
in football.
Speaker 1 (31:56):
All right, finally, aj Brown drama. I've said I would
have moved them at the deadline. I think he's great.
I think Buffalo should be interested. I think there's all
sorts of suitors for him. I think he's I think
he's impossible unless you have big, long, young corners. He's
hard to defend. And I think a lot of these.
I mean Stefan Digs a great example. By year three
he can wear people out. But Stefan Diggs everywhere he
(32:16):
goes for the first couple of years productive, everybody likes him.
He's great in the room. AJ Brown for a couple
of years and Buffalo is interesting to me. I think
he'd have a market. Do you think Philadelphia will move him?
Speaker 7 (32:27):
I just saw Digs on Sunday night after the Patriots game.
I mean it's like he's twenty two years old now,
like he is retressed, he is rejuvening. He's the leader
of that team. Is he's basically Rabel's little soldier. Like
what Rabel tells him to do. He tells the locker room.
It works. It's a good match, right, because there's a
lot of ego there, as you know, and you got
(32:47):
to feed that and you got to manage it. And
good coaches know how to manage it. And they're all
in on the quarterback there in New England. So now
let's transfer this over to AJ Brown. And it's pretty
obvious he is not happy. He was not happy from
really this going back to last year, right, but it's different.
They won the Super Bowl that kind of masks sold
the problems. So here we are this year, and I
(33:07):
think it's going to be up to him. I think
the bottom line, Philadelphia is not stupid. They're not going
to waste their time. They can't go through what they
just did again. This team has to revamp how they
approach this season, and they're not moving on from Jalen Hurts. Right,
So you're picking AJ Brown or you're picking Jalen Hurts.
Who you're picking. You're picking the quarterback. That's just how
it works. Plus the owner loves them so and he
(33:28):
also has the Super Bowl MVP. So I think for
AJ Brown, I could easily see Buffalo showing interest. I
could see Kansas City showing interests. Imagine him with Patrick Mahomes.
So we'll see if they wind up working out a
deal to get them out of Philadelphia. But I'd be
surprised to see him as an Eagle next year.
Speaker 1 (33:47):
All Right, you're crushing. You're just all the time. I
see you with stories and crushing and intel and all
that stuff.
Speaker 7 (33:54):
No, I like it, but I feel like sometimes when
I'm dumping the information. It sounds so robotic and I
don't mean to, but it's just like you're just like
taking all these conversations and all the writing and recording.
You're just like, I gotta get my best stuff. So yeah, no,
it's it's fun. This is awesome. This has been the
wildest coaching cycle I have ever covered. People every want
to talk Everyone wants to talk to about it right
(34:16):
now because there's so many moving parts.
Speaker 3 (34:18):
Right.
Speaker 7 (34:19):
You got Brian Dable up in Buffalo, Tennessee wants him
to be the OC. Philly wants him to be the OC.
If he takes one of these jobs and he doesn't
go to Philly, who's the OC for the Eagles? That
should be a good job, right It doesn't appear to be.
So there's there's like all these like little tentacles to
all of this that I just find really interesting.
Speaker 1 (34:36):
Great seeing you as always great, Tony.
Speaker 7 (34:38):
Thanks for having me.
Thanks for listening to the Best of the Herd podcast.
Be sure to catch us live every weekday on Fox
Sports Radio in noon to three Eastern nine am to
noon Pacific. Find your local station for The Herd at
Fox Sports Radio dot com, or stream us live every
day on the iHeartRadio app by searching Fox Sports Radio
or FSR.
Speaker 2 (00:19):
This is the Best of the Herd with Colin Cowver
on Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 1 (00:27):
Here we go, busy day, lots and lots to talk about.
We got a good one today. We're alive in Chicago
thirty felt like I was in Santropei when I woke
up this morning. It's the Herd wherever you may be
and however you may be listening. Thanks for making us
(00:48):
part of your day. So I saw his story, Mike
McCarthy to the Steelers Blairs, the headline why he'd be
the right fit for Mike Tomlin, right fit in Pittsburgh
to replace Mike Tomlin. Okay, we get at Pittsburgh. You
(01:08):
have blue collar people, you like your own. You don't
have to keep reminding us Mike McCarthy isn't just older,
he's old school. That was Mike mctomlin, right tone, def
to one side of the ball, a lot of penalties.
Five years McCarthy was in Dallas, they averaged seven penalties
a game, led the NFL. You know who has the
(01:30):
fewest penalties in the NFL this year, Sean McVay, Kyle Shanahan.
In fact, the four least penalized teams, four young offensive
coaches McVeigh, Shanahan, Zach Taylor, Dave Canalis. That's the NFL.
And just because you're older doesn't mean you have to
(01:54):
be old. Kurt Signetti is sixty four, just one of Natty.
Have you heard about how he recruits and his view
on athletes. It's very new school. Like McVeigh, his teams
don't get penalized, fewest penalties, fbs, they don't drop passes
(02:14):
like mcvay's teams. They don't fumble. Signetti maybe sixty four.
He is all about quarterback playing details. Richard Branson late seventies,
still cool, still hip, still with it. Jensen Wang sixty two,
founder of Nvidia. I mean innovative, sharp, progressive. Mike Tomlin
(02:40):
Mike McCarthy are kind of the same guy. Their football
teams are loose, a lot of penalties. What works in
the NFL today is young coaches, Demiko Ryans McVeigh, young
coaches who think young, making trades in season, Howie Rose
(03:01):
moving off tone, deaf coaches, pivoting off quarterbacks and players,
finding your next quarterback and putting him on a rookie
deal for four or five years as you build a roster.
All four things Steelers haven't done well. Mike Tomlin. Before
Aaron Rodgers got there, they had a penalty problem. Aaron
(03:21):
cleaned up the offensive side of that and didn't throw
as many picks. Suddenly they look detailed. Now that's Aaron Rodgers.
I got nothing against Mike McCarthy and Pittsburgh, but Pittsburgh
doesn't do this hiring thing and they get a lot
of credit for it. Pittsburgh is loyal. The problem is
they're like the guy who was married for thirty five
years and now gets divorced and is single and thinks
(03:46):
app is short for appetizer at Chili's, Like he doesn't
understand dating apps. They didn't have iPhones social media when
he got married. And that's Pittsburgh, Tomlin and McCarthy. That's
the same guy. Good coach, little light, little loose on
the details. I mean McCarthy's cowboy teams awful with clock management,
(04:07):
bad with penalties. Go look at mcveigh's team this week
in Chicago in horrible weather for a warm weather team.
Zero drop passes, zero penalties, zero turnovers. That's what's happening
in the NFL right now. It's changed. So and the
Steelers they don't just date head coaches, they say I
love you and propose after the first date. Like whoever
(04:28):
they hire, they're here for fifteen years, ten minimum. And
I got nothing against Mike McCarthy. I wouldn't put him
in the elite seven, eight nine top coaches, but he's
in that second tier with Tomlin. Very very good, but
old school. Again. I'm not anti, I'm not agis. I'm older,
gray hair, lots of it. See. But you gotta be young,
(04:50):
you know, you gotta think young. That's what's happened to
gms in this league. You gotta pivot off guys, you
gotta make in season trades. Cincinnati. I don't know how
old the owner is. They think old. Philadelphia. I don't
know how old the owner is, they think young. So
I just look at McCarthy, Tomlin, Okay, I know you
(05:10):
like Pittsburgh guys, one of us. I get it. That's
not working and winning in this league right now. You
can be a defensive coach, Demiko Ryans, Mike McDonald young,
sharp with it, moving off people that don't work, making moves, trades,
at least understand offense, have a feel for it, not
(05:34):
tone deaf to it. So I know it. Just Pittsburgh's like, listen,
the way we're doing things works, let's go get the
next version, kind of an offensive version of Tomlin. That's
not it. Here's Art Rooney on the Steelers coaching serve.
Speaker 3 (05:51):
Nowadays, there are a number of protocols we have to
follow that are sort of really designed to slow the
process down.
Speaker 1 (05:59):
And so as I say, it'll probably take at least
a few weeks.
Speaker 3 (06:04):
Can I sign up for another Chuck nol or another
Bill Kauer or another Mike Tomlin. Sure that you know
somebody that we feel fits that mold would be great,
But you know, for now, we're not going to kind
of narrow the box too much.
Speaker 1 (06:18):
So when Jim Harbaugh got hired by the Chargers, Jim
Harbaugh's in his sixty but he came off and always
has is very boyish, very young John Harbaugh similarly gets
hired by the New York Giants. I mean, he feels
like he's thirty seven years old. He is so excited.
Everything out of his mouth. He's so excited. And I've
(06:39):
said the New York Jet. When you list the teams
that won four games last year, tell me which one
doesn't feel the same. Jets, Arizona, Tennessee, Vegas, New York Giants.
The Giants had seven one score losses. In fact, they
led three really solid teams Denver, Chicago, and Detroit by
double digits in the fourth quarter. They got leads, they
(07:00):
couldn't keep them. The Giants had a better point differential
than the Carolina Panthers, who won a division. The New
York Giants are a right tackle, probably another receiver, and
a couple of dudes in the secondary from being an
eleven win team. They have needs. The whole league does.
Outside of Seattle. Everybody's got needs. But there are good
(07:22):
losses in football. When the Bears lost to the Rams,
that's a good loss. You may have lost to the
best team and the best coach in football. And I
mean you go into the offseason thinking we can play
with anybody. We were one play to play with anybody.
The Texans losing to the Patriots is a bad loss.
They don't even know if they like their quarterback anymore.
(07:44):
So you can be a four or five win team.
Look at it and go. We got to get a
right tackle, another receiver, probably a tight end, and some
secondary help. But I mean watching Jim Harbaugh get hired
by the Chargers. He's boyish, and my theme today is
you can be old. You gotta think young. You can
be in your sixties or seventies in the coach. You can't.
(08:07):
I'm okay with it, but you gotta. You gotta be
somebody that wakes up optimistic, not cynical, that understands offense,
can appreciate defense. Here's John Harball sounding young and like
the right choice on Jackson Dartis quarterback.
Speaker 4 (08:25):
You build your team around your quarterback. I mean that's
you build your team around your players and what they
do well. And i'd like. I like the way he plays,
malic his talent, skill set, all things he accomplished. But
more than that, I like I like who he is
and what he's about to me is about football. I
mean this, this young guy loves football. He wants to
talk football all the time, and you know, and uh,
and that's kind of what I like doing too. So
(08:46):
I think we're gonna have a lot of great conversations.
I can't wait to get started with him.
Speaker 1 (08:51):
So the other thing that's important and instructive here, when
you hire John Harball in the NFC East, you meetly
first day on the job. Today have the best coach
in the division, and yet they were only a four
win team. If Las Vegas hires a coach with Andy Reid,
(09:11):
Jim Harbaugh and Sean Payton, you probably still have the
fourth best coach in the division. If Arizona hires a
coach today with McVeigh, Mike McDonald and Shanahan, you probably
have the fourth best coach in the division. Even if
you get a guy that works, John Harbaugh today doesn't
(09:32):
just feel right this morning, best coach in the division.
And we don't know Jackson Dart you can at least
argue if he stays out of the blue tent, because
Jade and Daniel's injuries now are a concern. Do you
have the best quarterback in the division. We'll know by Thanksgiving.
Next Thanksgiving, we'll have a feel for it. So it
(09:55):
would I've said this about the Giants. Four win teams
are not all of the same, playoff losses are not all
the same. I mean, Denver feels terrible, but they just
watched bo Nicks out play Josh Allen. If you're the
Denver Broncos win or lose this week, you go into
the offseason thinking we're there, We're ready to hoist a trophy.
(10:18):
And the Giants at four wins that do not confuse
them with Tennessee or an Arizona or a Las Vegas
or the Jets. Not the say John Harbaugh could have
taken a lot of gigs. Why did he step up
really quickly, see this one and take it. Okay, We've
got a lot of stuff to then. And generally speaking,
(10:42):
I think whatever the country thinks, whatever you think as fans,
I'm usually aligned with you. I've said, there's a couple
of things that you love that I don't care about.
The home run derby. It's like batting practice. You love it.
I don't get the Pro Bowl. Every year I see
(11:03):
the TV rating for the Pro Bowl. I've never watched one.
It's a practice football. I'd rather watch an exhibition game
from a team that I'll monitor mostly though, what you like.
I like. You like March Madness, you like the Masters,
you like the NFL, you like what I like. But
here's where you and I totally, absolutely, inarguably disagree. There
(11:25):
is one thing that I think and you will totally disagree,
and it just so happens I'm right.
Speaker 2 (11:32):
And that's next. In Chicago, It's the Herd. Be sure
to catch live editions of The Herd weekdays and neon
eastern non am Pacific on Fox Sports Radio FS one
and the iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 1 (11:47):
Hey is Capino and Rich from Fox Sports Radio Now.
Speaker 5 (11:50):
In addition to hearing us live weekdays from five to
seven pm Eastern two to four Pacific on Fox Sports Radio,
We're excited to announce a brand new YouTube channel for
the show.
Speaker 1 (12:00):
YEP, that's right.
Speaker 5 (12:01):
You can now watch Covino and Rich live on YouTube
every day. All you gotta do. Search Covino and Rich
FSR on YouTube again, go to YouTube search kobno En
Rich FSR. Check us out on YouTube, subscribe, hit that
thumbs up icon, and come and away.
Speaker 1 (12:18):
I said before the break Diana Russini, top of Next Hour,
Phil Sims do Today, I said, as I sent the
show to break is that you and I mostly agree
on everything. I mean we do. I mean day to day.
We may disagree on a football pick. You like the
home run Derby more than I do in the Pro Bowl,
but buy in large what you like I like, and
the way you think is mostly how I think. I
(12:41):
would say. More than anything, people come up to me
and go, hey, I think your show is pretty common sense.
Believe it or not, that's what they say. But here's
something where I just totally disagree. There's too much fear
mongering out there. I saw this quote major League Baseball
owners are enraged by Kyle Tucker to the Dodgers deal.
They will push for a salary cap no matter what.
(13:03):
It took a Kyle Tucker move to outrage you. Cub
Fans complained about them all year, they wanted them out
of town. Did you forget about the Angels spending three
hundred and eighty million dollars fifteen years ago or close
to it on Albert Poolholtz and Josh Hamilton, which if
you look at what that's worth today with inflation, it's
(13:25):
five hundred and forty million. That didn't bother anybody, welly
cause the Angels are poorly run. It didn't change outcomes.
The Yankees in twenty ten the four highest paid players
check check check check four Yankees four for four. But
they're not considered well run. And even though they spent
a ton every year and a half for thirty years
in the last ten to fifteen, it doesn't change outcomes.
(13:47):
That doesn't bother you. The Dodgers aren't just rich. That's
not it. Let's keep it one hundred. They're rich and
exceptionally well run and winning the World Series. That's what
bothers you. Juan Soto Yankees Mets didn't bother you because
he went to the Mets. They'll gag they're the Mets.
(14:09):
Studies have shown you can be rich and unattractive, or
handsome and poor, and men aren't necessarily jealous of you.
But if you're rich and good looking, study show men
hate you. And that's the Dodgers. They are rich, good looking,
driving a convertible, own a tech company, and keep being
(14:32):
the richest guy in the sport, and it pisses You'll off.
It's not just about the money. Kyle Tucker outrages you.
Mookie Vetts was arguably the best player in the American League.
Not a peep. Josh Hamilton, Albert Pulhols, Angels, not a peep.
Twenty ten Yankees had all the highest paid players. I
don't know nobody in New York was outraged. Steve Cohens
(14:55):
trying to put together an all star team Crickets. Kyle
Tucker in playoff career is a two thirty hitter. Chicago
complained about them all year. That's the guy that sets
you off. No, what sets you off is that Game
seven winning back to back World Series titles. Last year.
(15:15):
I had Dave Roberts on the show, the Dodger manager,
and I asked him about it. The Dodgers, like everybody said,
are ruining baseball.
Speaker 6 (15:23):
Baseball viewership is at an all time high. Baseball players
are better than they've ever been.
Speaker 1 (15:29):
We are going to have more.
Speaker 6 (15:30):
Eyeballs watching this World Series than ever because of the
country of Canada, US and Japan and beyond right, So
obviously the Dodgers are not ruining baseball. It's in a
great state. And I was just kind of taking a
dig at these crazy people that say that what we do,
and I think we do it really well, we're ruining baseball.
Speaker 1 (15:50):
I don't remember a Game seven in Major League Baseball
in a division series, whatever series you know, NLCS, ALCS
World Series of Game seven. I don't remember a game
seven that rivetingden last year, glued every pitch Kyle Tucker
outrages you. That's the one. This morning I wrote down,
(16:12):
in order, who I think are the top ten Dodger players.
I could be off on this, but I wrote a
list of the top ten Dodger players. I had Kyle
Tucker at eight, Shohey Mooki, Yoshi Freeman, Edwin Diaz, the
best reliever in baseball, Blake Snell, went healthy, Will Smith,
(16:35):
great catcher, Kyle Tucker, Roki and Tiascar Hernandez. By the way,
ta Oscar Hernandez. I had recently at dinner with Tom Ricketts,
the Cubs owner. What a great guy, and I asked
him about the Dodgers privately, but now I'll say it publicly.
He had nothing but respect and admiration. He goes to
the best run team in baseball, he goes, they happened
to be the richest team in baseball right now. He
(16:55):
goes to the best run team in baseball, he goes,
I have total admiration for what they do Andrew Friedman down.
They just know what they're doing. We should not be
eating and biting away at them. They got a better
TV deal, better in R and D. And he was
very proud of the Cubs. I've had a great offseason,
Fregman at third, got another top starting pitcher, Kyle Tucker left.
(17:17):
Cubs will be better. But what you should be mad
about if you're a fan, isn't the Dodgers. It's Taoscar Hernandez,
the tenth best Dodger. Maybe it's Mac Muncie, but I
think Taoscar hernanz is a beast. He's been available twice
to the sport and your billionaire owner didn't get him.
And he's a great player for the Dodgers at a
very reasonable number. Saint Louis could afford him. The Pirates
(17:40):
billionaire could afford him, The Mariners could afford him, Detroit
could afford him, Cleveland could afford him. I'm not sure
if the A's could afford me. The point being a
great player, he's been available to The Dodgers have signed
him twice. Max Munsey was an A they let him go.
Oh Tawny was an angel. He didn't win enough games
it's this idea that Kyle Tucker created the outrage. Let's
(18:06):
be totally honest about that. If the Dodgers weren't winning,
you'd be laughing at them. They're winning, and you're ticked off.
People do not like. Studies have also illustrated this. People
do not like when they feel other people are separating
from them. Guys don't like that you can make more
than me by a little and it does feel like
the Dodgers have separated. It should be noted seventh game
(18:31):
beat the Blue Jays. Blue Jays for most of the
series felt like the better team. The Blue Jays more
consistently hit than the Dodgers did. They got some breaks,
they got good managing, they got guys that step up.
This idea that I'm supposed to Kyle Tucker, that's what
really set a sport off. It's like, I hear this
about college football constantly. Oh, it's in chaos. I just
(18:54):
watched the best national championship game I can remember. It
was in chaos when Baman and Georgia and Clemson. Every
year we're in the National Championship for about fifteen years.
That was trouble at tenance down, ratings down, baseball is
in an incredible spot. Well what about the Pirates? What
about him? They couldn't compete when steinbrennerran the Yankees. They
haven't been good since the seventies and Willie Stargell. I mean,
(19:19):
weren't they great in the late seventies when I was
a kid growing up in the mid seventies. I can
name the whole infield. You want me to go, Manny
saying Gin you know you, Al Oliver, Rennie Stennett, Taveris
at short they were great. They haven't been great consistently forever.
It's not a Dodgers issue. Well, what about the Cardinals?
Canne for Saint Louis has been dying as a city
for twenty years. They've lost fifteen fortune five hundred companies
(19:41):
in forty years. They lost an NFL team. Saint Louis
is dried up as a city. It's Hartford with an orange. Fucks.
Don't blame the Dodgers for that, of the Yankees for that,
or Steve Cohen for that. I feel strongly about this.
You and I totally disagree on this stuff. If the
Dodgers would have lost to the Blue Jays, you'd be like, yeah,
(20:01):
keep buying those players. You laughed at the Mets, didn't
you laugh at the Mets this year? It's funny they
spent all that money. They stunk. They got the richest owner,
not the Dodgers.
Speaker 2 (20:12):
One more heard. The Herd streams twenty four hours a day,
seven days a week within the iHeartRadio app. Search Herd
to listen live or on demand whenever you like.
Speaker 1 (20:22):
Diana Russini with that is now joining us live Man.
There's a lot going on the Athletic Senior NFL Insider,
So there's a bunch of different stories out there. Won
by Vic Carucci, who's been in Buffalo forever, about Sean
McDermott telling the owner and the GM Hey, I don't
love the personnel. I mean, was the firing of Sean
McDermott completely unexpected or had you heard for five or
(20:46):
six or seven weeks? It was tense? What do we
know today?
Speaker 7 (20:50):
Yeah? I don't think ownership was as irritable or frustrated
with it until the end of the season, or at
least towards the end of the season. That is when
words to get out, probably like week seventeen, it was
starting to get around. Keep an eye on Buffalo. If
they're one and done, look for McDermott to be out.
(21:11):
And so then obviously when they won, it died down
a bit, and then Saturday night is when the conversation
started again. And at the Athletic we actually already wrote
a piece that Sean McDermott was getting fired because at
that point I'd found out that that ownership was really
they were done with it. They were sick of the
eight years with Josh Allen and just not getting over
(21:33):
the hump. And I really truly don't think it was
lack of respect or belief in Sean McDermott. It's just
when you look at it historically, if a coach has
not won within the first ten years of him being
a head coach, it's tough and some of you don't
just think a change something new. On top of the fact,
you're watching a lot of these organizations with this new
(21:55):
breadth of fresh air. These new guys come in. Obviously
was seing in Chicago. We saw on Jacksonville CEE in Boston.
You see these guys come in and change the entire team,
and I think that's what's tempting.
Speaker 1 (22:05):
Well, Josh Allen, have any say in the next coach, Dana,
he absolutely will.
Speaker 7 (22:11):
They're gonna have, wouldn't you, Right, Like Josh Allen is
the team and I do think his influence here is
going to be important, and I think his overall comfort
with who this head coach is going to be is
going to be a big factor in this, which is
why I do think they're gonna wind up leaning towards
more offensive minded type coaches because, look, they made a
(22:33):
move because they know the window is going to just get,
you know, tighter and tighter here, uh And that's why
they moved on from Sean. So patience is already uh
not something that they have, and they're gonna they're gonna
want a coach to come in here. I think they're
gonna lean more towards someone who's done it and get
this thing going because they're gonna want to be in
the super Bowl next year.
Speaker 1 (22:53):
Okay, what do you make of the reports or suggestions?
What are you hearing about Bill Belichick in Buffalo?
Speaker 7 (23:01):
Nothing. Bill doesn't have a market in the NFL, you know,
so I think, look, he has been his people, including
Coach Belichick, have been very open with people media, with
people in football. They want to stay in North Carolina,
so I think he obviously has information. You're not doing
(23:22):
that unless you know, you don't have a shot. And
I have yet to have a conversation in this coaching cycle,
even last one of anyone who seriously was considering bringing
Bill in. I didn't mean to come off mean by
the way. That was just more of like the facts.
Speaker 1 (23:36):
You know. Well, sometimes Bill was me, I mean, it's
not the end of the world.
Speaker 8 (23:40):
Oh Bill's Bill's real mean Bill. I've had some tough
press conferences. Let me tell you. I remember sitting there.
I was young, My shirt was soaked. I was so afraid.
Speaker 7 (23:52):
I asked him if he ever considered treating Jimmy No,
if you regretted trading Jimmy Garoppolo after that practice, remember
when Tom ham his finger helmet like cut his finger,
And that was the question I asked in that post
to practice, and it was it was. It was memorable,
it was awful.
Speaker 1 (24:13):
I love John Harble. The hardballs are so they get
they love football so much they can't even hide it.
They're like kids, They're like kids. I got to tell
you something. I've been critical to the Giants for a
long time. I think they're good. Now, I think they
need to right tackle a tight end some secondary help.
Are you surprised? What was the word around the league
(24:33):
in your sources when Harball immediately jumped on this opportunity.
Did people think it was this good of a job
because John's like, not no hesitation, he wanted that job.
Speaker 7 (24:42):
Yeah, and a lot of candidates felt the same way
about this Giants roster. This was one of the golden
ones just based on some of these players and obviously
the history the ownership. Look, you, they haven't won in
a while. We know it hasn't been great with Joe
Shane at the Helm, but ownership is always been really
fair to their head coaches. And while they're involved, they're
(25:03):
not hands on telling you what to do. They're just
going to listen and trust you, and that's valuable. It
was all about ownership and quarterback this cycle, and it
continues to be as we have these openings. So John
I think brings accountability. He's going to bring vision, focus
and really an adult in the building. That is what
someone there said to me, Like, that is what they're
(25:24):
going to get in New York. Yes, we joke that
he's a little bit of a football labberdoodle. But he
also knows what he's doing. And I think the New
York Giants are very excited to hand him the keys.
Speaker 1 (25:34):
Yeah, I would be excited. I think they're close. Okay,
the Steelers we joked earlier like they feel like, you know,
guys married for thirty five years, then all of a
sudden he's single, and he doesn't know. He thinks apps
are like appetizers at Chile's. He doesn't know what dating
apps are. They don't look for coaches, they don't know
what they're doing. They don't do this ever, And all
(25:54):
of a sudden, the Giants to know how to do it.
Atlanta knows how to do it. Like some of these organizations.
They're pretty good at the let's go, let's get a
coaching search. Pittsburgh doesn't do it. I'm hearing Mike McCarthy
and I'm thinking, well, he's a Pittsburgh guy. It's an
easy one. What are the Steelers at.
Speaker 7 (26:12):
I made a joke during the Giants hardball situation. Someone
had texted me that the Giants were behind on the contract,
like they weren't getting it done. I'm like, don't they
just have a template ready to go? They do this
all the time, Like how hard could it beat them
to a contract?
Speaker 1 (26:27):
In New York?
Speaker 7 (26:27):
You're always doing it. Where Pittsburgh, you know, they're like
looking an old files, like how do you do this again?
And look, here's what I know from that ownership especially,
they're going to go with what they know right and
what they're comfortable doing. And look what they did with
Mike Tomlin. They took a young, you know, black defensive
coach with tons of energy and they took a shot
(26:50):
on him and it worked pretty darn well. So yes,
I can see them gravitating towards a guy who's done
it before because it's comfortable. This isn't a fantastic roster.
They don't have a quarterback. This is one of the
jobs that I don't believe a lot of these coaches
that are hungry to get in are are fighting just
because they're not. First of all, you got a filling
for Mike Tomin. That's tough, but you're not coming in
(27:11):
here and winning. And I don't necessarily believe that that's
the way the franchise is seeing it. I don't think
they think that this they're in rebuild, so you got
to be able to have someone to come in here
and be able to communicate like, look, we have a
lot of work to do. Anthony Weaver is the name
I want you to watch. I think he is somebody
(27:32):
that both the Baltimore Ravens and remember Anthony Weaver. He's
the defensive coordinator for the Miami Dolphin. He is a
former Raven himself. He's a former coach for the Ravens.
John Harbaugh overpassed him to be the DC. He left
Baltimore went to Miami. That's where he is now. So
he is up for the job in Baltimore, and he's
up for the job in Pittsburgh, and I think he's
got a really good shot of getting one of these.
(27:54):
Buffalo also recently put in for him, so he's going
to be meeting with him as well. And doesn't it
just make a lot of sense if you're going to
go with, hey, this is what we've done before, young hungry,
culture builder, player guy. But of course you know he's
going to have to try to beat up Brian Flores
and Mike McCarthy and also these coaches that are playing
this weekend. That's a whole nother layer to this.
Speaker 1 (28:16):
I'm kind of fascinated with the Raiders job because Fernando
Mendoza is a franchise quarterback. How great? I don't nobody's
darn good. Brock Towers, Ashton Genty. They got to get
their old line fixed. Old Colton Miller I think is
still around a off injury. They got to get the
old line fixed for Mendoza. But their defense is okay.
Brady's on the sideline of the National Championship game like
(28:37):
everybody's watching. I don't know if it's a good job.
I know this that when you get a really talented
quarterback and a rookie deal for four or five years,
you can stack the roster, and that usually Denver with
bow Nicks, Drake May, New England justin Herbert Initially, it's
usually a pretty good thing if you get the right coach.
Do we know anything on Vegas?
Speaker 7 (28:58):
Yeah, First of all, you got to make sure you
hit and we got to hope that if the Raiders
do decide to go in that direction, that he turns
out to be the players that you just listed. You
never know, right, So you've got that gamble. But look,
the Raiders are not one of these jobs that that
I'd put him in. The same category. I'd put the
Steelers above them actually in terms of guys that want
(29:19):
that job. And I think it has to just do
with the fact that it's been a place to die
over the last few years. You know, it's been hard
to have success. You've got Max Crosby who's disgruntled. What's
his future going to be in Vegas? Right? He's the
face of that place. If you don't have him, who
do you have in that locker room policing and setting
(29:39):
the tone of what you want and the expectations. So look,
I think that they're leaning more towards offensive sided, offensive
minded type coaches. Right. So Davis Webb is a name
I keep hearing. Obviously, he's the Denver Broncos quarterback coach.
Are you going to bring in a first time head
coach with a brand new quarterback? You know, that's a
that's a big challenge. But Tom Brady's running the show there.
(30:01):
He is the one having in all the say on
what they're going to do next year, which which I
think could could be a good thing. You know, the
jury's out on whether or.
Speaker 1 (30:08):
Not he can pick right, all right, agent, there's so many.
Speaker 7 (30:13):
Openings, right, we could go we could have a whole
show on just this because there's so much.
Speaker 1 (30:18):
Yeah, I mean, let me throw this out there. And
I thought the Ravens were the best job until Buffalo
opened up. And I still think the raven Steve Bshotti
is great, Roster is very very good, O line stable
Lamar Jackson, who I mean, jesse Mentor feels like the play,
but I'm not. I'm not hearing about it. What's the
Baltimore situation?
Speaker 7 (30:36):
Well, jesse Mentor's with them right now actually, so we'll
see how that pans out. I love to know what
his plan is at OC. That's all that matters, is
all that matters in Baltimore right now. Who is going
to coach Lamar Jackson? They Steve Ashott was very transparent.
They're all in, right, They're all in because they fired
John Harbaugh and they want to make this work. They
(30:57):
want to get to the super Bowl, and this is
another organization that's looking at it as a window. Right,
we got to get the most out of them. So
while I understand that you're bringing the leader of men
and that's important that you have the CEO, the plan
for OC has to be there, right, So Cliff Kingsbury
is a name that's out there. I can tell you
I know for a fact that Lamar Jackson and those
receivers would like Cliff Kingsbury to run their offense. They
(31:20):
have shown support, They've been vocal about it. They've been
part of some of these interviews too. Lamar Jackson's part
of these. He's zooming in. He's in touch with the
decision makers of what he likes, who he's liked, and so,
you know, we'll see how this shakes out. But I
think the you know, Anthony Weavers one of those again
that I mentioned a few minutes ago, that is going
(31:41):
to be in the running for this job, and from
what I understand, Cliff Kingsbury would be his OC. And
I think that would be a pretty tremendous fit when
you think about what Cliff Kingsbury did with Kyler Murray.
Now now insert Lamar Jackson, one of the best quarterbacks
in football.
Speaker 1 (31:56):
All right, finally, aj Brown drama. I've said I would
have moved them at the deadline. I think he's great.
I think Buffalo should be interested. I think there's all
sorts of suitors for him. I think he's I think
he's impossible unless you have big, long, young corners. He's
hard to defend. And I think a lot of these.
I mean Stefan Digs a great example. By year three
he can wear people out. But Stefan Diggs everywhere he
(32:16):
goes for the first couple of years productive, everybody likes him.
He's great in the room. AJ Brown for a couple
of years and Buffalo is interesting to me. I think
he'd have a market. Do you think Philadelphia will move him?
Speaker 7 (32:27):
I just saw Digs on Sunday night after the Patriots game.
I mean it's like he's twenty two years old now,
like he is retressed, he is rejuvening. He's the leader
of that team. Is he's basically Rabel's little soldier. Like
what Rabel tells him to do. He tells the locker room.
It works. It's a good match, right, because there's a
lot of ego there, as you know, and you got
(32:47):
to feed that and you got to manage it. And
good coaches know how to manage it. And they're all
in on the quarterback there in New England. So now
let's transfer this over to AJ Brown. And it's pretty
obvious he is not happy. He was not happy from
really this going back to last year, right, but it's different.
They won the Super Bowl that kind of masks sold
the problems. So here we are this year, and I
(33:07):
think it's going to be up to him. I think
the bottom line, Philadelphia is not stupid. They're not going
to waste their time. They can't go through what they
just did again. This team has to revamp how they
approach this season, and they're not moving on from Jalen Hurts. Right,
So you're picking AJ Brown or you're picking Jalen Hurts.
Who you're picking. You're picking the quarterback. That's just how
it works. Plus the owner loves them so and he
(33:28):
also has the Super Bowl MVP. So I think for
AJ Brown, I could easily see Buffalo showing interest. I
could see Kansas City showing interests. Imagine him with Patrick Mahomes.
So we'll see if they wind up working out a
deal to get them out of Philadelphia. But I'd be
surprised to see him as an Eagle next year.
Speaker 1 (33:47):
All Right, you're crushing. You're just all the time. I
see you with stories and crushing and intel and all
that stuff.
Speaker 7 (33:54):
No, I like it, but I feel like sometimes when
I'm dumping the information. It sounds so robotic and I
don't mean to, but it's just like you're just like
taking all these conversations and all the writing and recording.
You're just like, I gotta get my best stuff. So yeah, no,
it's it's fun. This is awesome. This has been the
wildest coaching cycle I have ever covered. People every want
to talk Everyone wants to talk to about it right
(34:16):
now because there's so many moving parts.
Speaker 3 (34:18):
Right.
Speaker 7 (34:19):
You got Brian Dable up in Buffalo, Tennessee wants him
to be the OC. Philly wants him to be the OC.
If he takes one of these jobs and he doesn't
go to Philly, who's the OC for the Eagles? That
should be a good job, right It doesn't appear to be.
So there's there's like all these like little tentacles to
all of this that I just find really interesting.
Speaker 1 (34:36):
Great seeing you as always great, Tony.
Speaker 7 (34:38):
Thanks for having me.
Hosts And Creators
Colin Cowherd
Jason McIntyre
Popular Podcasts
Two Guys, Five Rings: Matt, Bowen & The Olympics
Two Guys (Bowen Yang and Matt Rogers). Five Rings (you know, from the Olympics logo). One essential podcast for the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics. Bowen Yang (SNL, Wicked) and Matt Rogers (Palm Royale, No Good Deed) of Las Culturistas are back for a second season of Two Guys, Five Rings, a collaboration with NBC Sports and iHeartRadio. In this 15-episode event, Bowen and Matt discuss the top storylines, obsess over Italian culture, and find out what really goes on in the Olympic Village.
iHeartOlympics: The Latest
Listen to the latest news from the 2026 Winter Olympics.
Milan Cortina Winter Olympics
The 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan Cortina are here and have everyone talking. iHeartPodcasts is buzzing with content in honor of the XXV Winter Olympics We’re bringing you episodes from a variety of iHeartPodcast shows to help you keep up with the action. Follow Milan Cortina Winter Olympics so you don’t miss any coverage of the 2026 Winter Olympics, and if you like what you hear, be sure to follow each Podcast in the feed for more great content from iHeartPodcasts.