The Herd with Colin Cowherd
3 & Out - Early Kickoff Problems, Bears Stadium Debate, Tanking & Backup QB Development | Mailbag
22 May 2026
Chapter 1: What are the ongoing issues with early NFL kickoffs?
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Hey guys, it's us, the Jonas Brothers. I'm Joe. I'm Kevin. And I'm Nick. And guess what? We created our own podcast called Hey Jonas. We invented a podcast? Well, we didn't invent it. We just contributed to it. We're the first people to do podcasts. We get to ask other people questions because we're sick and tired of being asked questions.
Well, sick and tired is a strong way to put it, but you know. Tired and sick. Tired and sick. Listen to Hey Jonas on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Just listen. We don't care where you hear it.
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Chapter 2: What is the debate surrounding the Bears' stadium situation?
What else are you going to talk to him about? It's difficult, especially, you know, I'm way older than him. So when he's 10, I'm going to be 50. So hopefully he likes what I like, but who knows? Maybe football's falling apart by then. Maybe hockey's in. My wife really wants him to play hockey, which I wouldn't be opposed to. What if he's the next Jack Hughes?
It's kind of weird because this place is hotter than balls. Pretty big hockey scene here. Question for the pod. With the increase in international travel for the NFL, does any organization take into consideration travel anxieties that players may have? Speaking from experience, my wife is a terrible traveler. She physically is not herself leading into it, the day following a long flight either.
Do the trainers have to work around any player's anxiety when it comes to travel, especially long international flights? It would be very, very difficult to function in college football if you can't get on a plane. So in college, you're getting on a plane depending on the program you play for, six to ten times a year. I mean, if you're doing a playoff game, imagine if you're Indiana.
Think how many times Indiana just got on a plane flight, or the University of Miami, or Ohio State, or Michigan. So if you think about it, the majority of these guys are coming from the Power Four conferences, but even if you're playing at San Diego State. They're not driving to New Mexico. They're not driving to Boise.
So even if you've never been on a plane flight, which I'm sure some of these kids... Well, I guess in recruiting, they would fly you out. It would be really difficult to not... Obviously, some people would just naturally get anxiety. But by the time you get to the pros, because you have to play in college football for three-plus years, you've been on a lot of flights.
And they're not sitting in an airport, right? So I think part of ā I hate traveling. I like traveling once I'm there, but I fucking hate airports. I hate a packed airport. I hate stuffing into a plane like a sardine. I despise it. The older I get, the more that I just ā it's awful.
I try to avoid it as much as possible, but my wife likes to travel, so there's got to be a little give and take. I just think that it comes with the territory. We were going to Tahoe in a couple weeks. You just know you're getting on a flight. It just kind of is what it is. You just kind of deal with it. Some people get anxiety. Some people just get angry. It's just part of life.
There's not really much you can do. Plus, these guys travel pretty well. Like, when you and I travel, so if we're in whatever airline, right, we pay $20 for a water, $50 for a sandwich. These guys show up. I was talking to Haberman, who called the 49er games this year and flew on the team plane. He's like, it's incredible.
I mean, the amount of snacks and meals, and they got something for everybody. So these guys aren't exactly traveling on Southwest, right? Which has turned into what a dog shit airline. It's like Southwest. Part of what you hung your hat on was like $59.99 flights. $99 flights. Well now and a free bag. Now you're charging me for bags.
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Chapter 3: How do international games affect NFL teams and players?
And then, to me, the noise in the stadium, you know, forever people thought the Colts were manipulating the noise. I think the Falcons or the Saints, I mean, I don't blame any team. If you got a dome, I'd manipulate the noise too. So I think it's more about the noise when you're on offense on the road and you can't hear and it's hard to communicate. So, you know. The Colts or the St.
Louis Rams have the fast turf. I think it's a huge advantage for cold weather teams when they play teams that aren't coming from the cold. If you're Chicago and you're playing December 20th and it's 10 degrees and you're playing the Rams or the Niners outside, that is just a natural advantage.
Because there is no way for those players, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, getting ready for that game, and it's 70 degrees outside. I mean, it's just a built-in advantage for you. So I think it's less about crowd noise or turf and dome and more about travel implications of just being a little bit of a disadvantage and definitely crowd noise.
Because crowd noise, a huge part of football is communication. You're part of my daily routine. I appreciate you. My question is, shouldn't coaches like LaFleur Shanahan and McVay consider their backup rehabilitation project as more than just developing a backup? Using Malik Willis as an example. That was not just a way to develop a good backup, but a way to build tradable assets.
If we had Malik Willis under contract, I believe we could have gotten a one or two for him. With that, I would go after guys with big upsides rather than bridge type guys. Anthony Richardson comes to mind. What are your thoughts? Well, if you just look at the asset that the Packers got out of Malik Willis, his value, they traded, if memory serves me correct, a seventh round pick for him.
He won... Was it four games throughout a couple years? He won games as a starting quarterback when Jordan Love went down. Definitely this year he won a couple. Was it this year or last year? I can't even keep track. I've got baby brains, late May. He won games for them as a starting quarterback. And even when he came in and they lost, he played really, really well.
So his value on a cheap contract was worth its weight in gold to the franchise over the couple years. He was fucking awesome for them. And then when he gets signed to the big contract, depending, I have to look at their books, like who they signed, they're going to get a third-round pick in 2027 from Malik Willis.
So from a comp standpoint, they traded a seventh, they developed him, they're going to get a third-round pick for him, and they won games with him on the roster. Which, obviously, that last year was the difference, what'd they go, 9-7-1? They tie last year, was that two years ago? Did they tie the Cowboys last year? I think they did. They had multiple teams in their division with nine wins.
So they wouldn't even have made the playoffs. So I hear what you're saying about a first or second round pick, but what would you have signed him for? Would you have given him like two years, $10 million? Would Malik Willis have signed that contract? Because his agent's going, well, you're going to hit free agency. Who are the other quarterbacks in free agency?
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Chapter 4: Why is tanking in the NFL more complicated than in other sports?
Auburn would have. LSU did. Ole Miss did. Some of those programs do shady shit. Love the show, but I feel compelled to get on here and defend my and producer Jackson's Fighting Irish. Is the 2026 schedule a gauntlet? No. But to act like they deliberately scheduled the Sisters of the Poor, I've always wanted to know, where is that school? Since I worked in football, everyone uses that.
I don't know where ā someone DM'd me the other day, like, you were talking shit about James Gandolfini. I think James Gandolfini, as Tony Soprano, is the greatest character I've ever seen in my 40 years of life. I do not blame Notre Dame for scheduling some of these teams, like Michigan State, who 10 years ago was a dominant program. I mean, they were one of the better programs in the country.
They were producing NFL guys. They were always in the top 10, top 15. They were like the Midwest version of Oregon. They were legit. They went to Rose Bowls under D'Antoni. They had NFL quarterbacks every year. And now they suck, right? I mean, they scheduled North Carolina, who some years North Carolina wins like eight or nine games.
My issue with Notre Dame is less about the schedule, because there's going to be some randomness to it, and more about being the independent. I will not argue that Notre Dame is one of the best programs in the country right now. Even last year, they didn't make the playoffs. They were clearly, you would say, if you had to go, who are the best four teams last year? You'd say Indiana 1.
You'd say Miami 2. I'd say Ohio State 3. I'd probably say Notre Dame 4. just join the Big Ten. Just do that so we don't have to argue about this. Because even in the SEC and the Big Ten, some years your schedule is going to be easier than others. But when you do it like Notre Dame so far out, you can have these years where it doesn't look great. I got no problem with Notre Dame.
They are scheduling real teams. They just happen to suck. I mean, Dan Orlovsky called Ty Simpson's drive of the season, called it the best drive of the season. It was against Wisconsin, who did not have a player drafted and whose program is, of the last couple decades, at the lowest point in modern program history in the internet age. Like, it's an embarrassment right now.
So like you played Wisconsin 10, 15, 20 years ago. That was a big time game. They could either be like the 15th best team in the country, the 10th, the 19th. That was a top 20 win. Some years they might be like fifth or sixth. Now you schedule them. It's like that game's a joke. Can I tell you about my friends at SeatGeek? You want to go to a concert this summer?
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Chapter 5: What factors contribute to home-field advantage in the NFL?
We'd play all the time in the spring. Especially if you have an established GM coach, it's pretty relaxed. But you never know. It's reality television. All of a sudden, you're the Eagles. It's probably chill time, and then Dom gets a call. Nolan Smith was just doing 190 miles an hour in 25. You're like, what? Do you know how fast 135 miles an hour is?
When I saw that, and people... It's ironic because we got asked about the Kirby Smart question the other day. These Georgia guys... Maybe it's the program, the urgency, always trying to be on time. They cannot. You go like 90 or 100 miles an hour on the freeway, you are fucking passing everybody. Going 135 miles an hour? You racing the Indy 500?
I mean, in all seriousness, if you crash into someone, people are dying. It's like, what was Henry Ruggs, like 150? Like, it's, what are we doing here? I don't get it. It's pretty crazy, honestly. So, yeah. I mean, it's just a great time of year. It is. Like, this weekend's a good example. I would imagine the majority of the NFL is off tomorrow. They'll be off Monday.
So, these guys will... Family, little mini vacations... Any, you know, Seattle, Eagles, Niners, Rams, Char... Harbaugh might not want to. Cowboys. Like, you're just... This is a good time to kind of get with some people that you don't get to see very often. Get out of town, potentially. Have you seen the reports from Jeremy Fowler that Jalen and Mannion are getting along?
I know that it has never been considered a strength for him. That'd be playing under center. But how differently will we view Jalen if he proves really successful in this system? Again, hypothetical. But also, if Manning and Jalen lead a resurgent successful Eagles offense, can the birds afford to let him be poached to become head coach?
He's got a little kid in the house who gets sick and you get sick. He doesn't even go anywhere. I think we've got to be very careful. The vibes... It's going to be... Unless it's the Browns. Todd Munkin the other day was like pissed off that they threw interceptions on 7-7. It's like, Todd, this is the middle of May. Chill, bro. Relax. If Miles Garrett was there, he said he hadn't even met him.
I just think that Joe Shane just got an extension. So he went from fire to extension. Him and Harbaugh getting along. I... If it goes well, then that's a conversation. We're six months away from that. Right now, vibes are high. Moods are good. There are no games on the horizon. It's a quarterback-friendly offense. It's a lot of layup throws. It's a lot of stuff on the move. Well, what is he?
He's a great athlete. So it's a quarterback's dream offense. Also, what is it? It's run-centric. It takes a lot of the pressure off you. There's a reason the Shanahan, Kubiak, McVay, Kevin O'Connor, people with a lot of the core beliefs in this offense, their quarterbacks look pretty good because it's pretty quarterback-friendly. You play for Andy Reid, he's putting a lot.
You better be Donovan McNabb or Patrick Mahomes because he fucking asked you to sling that shit around. These guys is like under center, hand it off. The Giants have repeatedly drafted an offensive lineman, and the defense is still finished in the bottom 10, and the O-line does not look better. It seems like the DBs are never able to cover anybody.
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Chapter 6: How important is backup quarterback development for NFL teams?
It's kind of the, you know, kind of the important people in the space. So, yeah, I mean, I just want to go live in the fall after some of these games. And other than that, it's been freaking awesome.
I also don't play, you know, part of on YouTube, you play more of an algorithmic game, where here it's like I just talk about what I want to talk about, which I do no matter what, but you kind of have to build it around what would kind of go viral on the algorithm. It's like you're playing a game, you know, on social media. This is not necessarily that.
Hey, it's us, the Jonas Brothers, and guess what? We have some big news. What's the news, Nick? Huge news. We created our own podcast called Hey Jonas. We invented a podcast? Well, we didn't invent it. We just contributed to it. We're the first people to do podcasts. Yeah, a pretty wide range of podcasts.
We're starting a trend.
But this one's extra special. So how did we actually come up with the name Hey Jonas, guys?
I honestly don't remember. I think it was on a call about what we should call it, and...
Well, we were thinking I'm originally calling it one of the early names of our band before Jonas Brothers. This is how you guys remember it going down? Yes. I have a very different memory of this. We were talking about a thing, a bit for the podcast where people could call in and say, hey, Jonas.
And then I wrote down on my little notepad, hey, Jonas, and offered it up as a potential title for the podcast. But thanks for remembering that, guys. Listen to Hey Jonas on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Just listen. We don't care where you hear it.
Another podcast from some SNL late night comedy guy. Not quite. On Humor Me with Robert Smigel and Friends, me and hilarious guests from Bob Odenkirk to David Letterman help make you funnier. This week, my guests, SNL's Mikey Day and head writer Streeter Seidel, help an acapella band with their between songs banter. Where does your group perform? We do some retirement homes.
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Chapter 7: What trends are emerging in NFL draft strategies?
They are not anything. There's nothing about them that I enjoy, good or bad. So it's like, hey, I got a couple things to ask you. When someone texts me that, for example, this happened the other day. Goldie, one of our guys here at The Volume, who is Colin's right-hand guy, and he oversees a bunch of podcasts. He's like, hey, I want to run a couple things by you. I just call him a minute later.
I'm not like, yeah, we'll touch base a little bit later today. Now, it was nothing negative or anything. He's like, hey, got a couple. But I can't wait. I can't anticipate something, especially in this scenario, that I couldn't do it. She's, I would say, even more inclined to want to know. I mean, we were driving all around town to take ultrasounds to see if we could see his face.
It's like, God, we're getting scammed. I'm talking about a fugazi. But I hear you, and it probably was incredible. And it would be pretty thrilling to, when the baby came out, boy or girl, I'm not wired to do that. And I also think the... The stress of not... I just... I can't.
Now, the powerful moment... I'd argue the powerful moment of them just yanking him out for me, already knowing it was a boy, was good enough. I just... I don't fall under the category of look forward to surprises. I would never want a surprise birthday. I just... I don't like surprises. I just don't, for whatever reason. If I ever sat down with a therapist, maybe they could tell me.
Maybe it has something to do with my... and the inner wiring that was developed in my youth from my traumas. I fucking hate that word.
I don't hate it for people that actually, you know, had severe trauma in life, you know, like a dude in war or someone that grew up in an area and saw things they shouldn't have at a young age, but most humans' trauma is probably a little overblown social media-wise on 2026. That would be a traumatizing, I would say, six months for me. Waiting to know. Wouldn't like it.
Because then I think I would start assuming that it was going to be something. And then if I was wrong, I wouldn't want to be mad or something. I don't know. More power to you. I actually don't even think I know anyone that's ever done that. I think most people in my life that have had children all found out immediately.
my wife sent found out even before I remember she did like the early test so that wouldn't even be an option in my home even if I was interested have a great Memorial Day good talking to everybody and yeah enjoy some brewskis talk to you later the volume
Hey guys, it's us, the Jonas Brothers. I'm Joe. I'm Kevin. And I'm Nick. And guess what? We created our own podcast called Hey Jonas. We invented a podcast? Well, we didn't invent it. We just contributed to it. We're the first people to do podcasts. We get to ask other people questions because we're sick and tired of being asked questions.
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