3 & Out - Early Kickoff Problems, Bears Stadium Debate, Tanking & Backup QB Development | Mailbag

The Herd with Colin Cowherd's latest mailbag episode tackles a wide range of NFL and college football topics with sharp, often contrarian takes. The central debate centers on the NFL's growing schedule congestion, particularly the 6:30 a.m. PST kickoff games, which host John Middlecoff argues create a 'long freaking day' that risks diminishing the joy of football. He warns that constant Sunday-to-Sunday football could erode the sport's cultural value, likening it to overindulging in pizza and ice cream. On the Bears' stadium dilemma, Middlecoff suggests the McCaskey family’s lack of independent wealth is the real obstacle, despite Indiana offering lucrative incentives—though he doubts the league would allow a move that could spark backlash like the 49ers' Santa Clara relocation. He also delivers a blistering critique of college football's non-conference scheduling, calling it 'embarrassing' and 'a joke' when teams play weak opponents to inflate records. The episode’s most provocative moment comes in the quarterback development discussion: Middlecoff argues that teams like the Packers got massive value from Malik Willis, a 7th-round pick who won games and later netted a 3rd-round pick in trade—proving that developing a backup can be a strategic asset. He even suggests that tanking isn’t about losing games, but about roster construction and culture-building.