The Andy McNamara Maxwell Millington interview brought a pointed prediction about the Los Angeles Chargers: McNamara expects them to replace offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel after one season, not move on from Justin Herbert or Jim Harbaugh. He also told Millington that Arch Manning should return to school and might leave Texas, and that Jeremiah Smith would be his first overall NFL draft pick based on the prospects he has seen. McNamara briefly recalled putting a question to LeBron James at All-Star weekend before the conversation turned to football.

What did Andy McNamara say about Justin Herbert and the Los Angeles Chargers?

Andy McNamara sees Mike McDaniel’s offense as the problem in Los Angeles, rather than Justin Herbert or Jim Harbaugh. He expects McDaniel to be replaced after one season as coordinator, with Harbaugh returning to a run-focused approach that makes better use of Omarion Hampton and puts Herbert in a more comfortable position.

McNamara called the pairing with McDaniel a poor fit. In his view, trying to run the offense McDaniel used with the Miami Dolphins does not suit Herbert. Even if the quarterback’s play has been uneven, McNamara argued that the Chargers cannot treat a franchise-caliber quarterback as easy to replace.

He questioned why Hampton was not being used more heavily in the backfield. McNamara sees that as especially strange for a Harbaugh team, and said Herbert’s mobility gives the Chargers another tool if they adjust the offense around him.

The stakes are personal for McNamara, too: he owns an autographed Herbert rookie card and joked that its value was falling as the season went wrong. That frustration did not change his conclusion. He expects the coaching approach to change before the quarterback does.

What did Andy McNamara say about Bo Nix and the Denver Broncos?

Andy McNamara thinks Bo Nix deserves more time and will benefit from Sean Payton resuming play-calling for the Denver Broncos. He views Nix as the quarterback Payton chose for his system, not a failed pick, but said the offense needs the familiarity of Payton directing it. The Broncos’ game against the Seattle Seahawks also looked difficult to bet on with confidence.

Sean Payton’s play-calling and Bo Nix

McNamara recalled questioning the decision to draft Nix in the first round. His view now is that the selection was not a reach if Nix was the player Payton wanted for his offense. Nix has not been perfect, he said, but he believes the quarterback looked more comfortable when Payton took back the calls from Davis Webb.

For fantasy managers, McNamara’s larger Denver disappointment was Courtland Sutton. He wanted the Broncos to give the big receiver more chances near the end zone but said he could not confidently put Sutton in his own lineup. He also wanted Denver to feed J.K. Dobbins when the running back was healthy.

Why the Denver Broncos–Seattle Seahawks game worried him

McNamara was reluctant to bet the spread in the Broncos–Seahawks matchup, especially with Seattle favored on the road. He preferred considering individual player props, though uncertainty around Seattle’s running backs made those difficult to choose as well. Sam Darnold and Seattle were not sure things in his assessment.

That uncertainty extended beyond one game. McNamara did not see a clear Super Bowl favorite and described the season as unusually open, including an NFC in which he felt the Los Angeles Rams had not lived up to their preseason billing.

Which Jalen Hurts fantasy football replacements did Andy McNamara consider?

Andy McNamara saw no comfortable replacement for Jalen Hurts in a two-quarterback fantasy league. He had Hurts alongside Dak Prescott on his own roster and considered Kirk Cousins and Sam Darnold among the available alternatives, while ruling out Tanner McKee for his lineup. His broader advice was to draft a backup quarterback in single-quarterback leagues before one is urgently needed.

Two-quarterback formats made the problem harder, McNamara explained, because usable starters tend to be taken. In a single-quarterback league, he would rather reserve a roster spot for a backup than carry a fifth wide receiver who may never start.

Cousins offered a possible high-scoring game but also a substantial risk of disappointing fantasy managers. McNamara saw Darnold as a steadier, more modest option. He described Jacoby Brissett’s fantasy production as a roller coaster and was unwilling to rely on McKee, even though he thought the latter might be interesting for a prop bet. None amounted to a replacement he felt good about.

What did Andy McNamara say about Arch Manning’s future at Texas?

Andy McNamara expects Arch Manning to return to school rather than enter the next NFL draft, and he raised the possibility of a transfer from Texas. He thinks another year would help Manning develop because the offense has not clicked for him. McNamara did not name a destination or say a move had been decided.

McNamara pointed to Manning’s family experience and financial position as reasons he would not need to rush toward an NFL paycheck. He also noted that Manning had not started in his first year while Quinn Ewers was there. For McNamara, another college season would offer more value than leaving before he was ready.

McNamara put his more speculative thought plainly:

I wonder if he even looks to transfer out of Texas

That possibility followed his assessment that something about Manning and the current offense was not working. He said Manning has the size, tools and access to knowledgeable relatives to improve, but could benefit from a change of scenery.

Which NFL draft prospects stood out to Andy McNamara?

Andy McNamara did not have a quarterback he was ready to back as a top NFL draft pick by mid-October. On the prospects he had seen, he would select Ohio State’s Jeremiah Smith first overall. He still saw time for a quarterback to separate from the field, but thought the lack of a clear favorite could complicate decisions for teams needing one.

The unsettled quarterback group

McNamara said he had been high on Fernando Mendoza earlier, while Dante Moore was another quarterback he had followed. His point was not that the evaluation was finished: he wanted to see more before settling on a preferred prospect. He also mentioned CJ Carr as someone who could still emerge.

When assessing a quarterback he was unsure about, McNamara wanted at least one exceptional physical trait to build around, such as size, arm power or mobility. He was wary of spending a top-three pick on a prospect he regarded as merely adequate, even if that player had other appealing qualities.

Jeremiah Smith as a first overall pick

Smith was McNamara’s answer if he had to choose first overall at that point. The question for a quarterback-needy team, he suggested, would be whether any passer justified passing on the player he considered the strongest prospect. He also noted that a quarterback’s eventual situation matters: a talented player can have a much harder path if he lands with the wrong team.

Who is Andy McNamara?

Andy McNamara is a national sports talk host, play-by-play commentator, reporter, fantasy sports and betting analyst, and writer. He has worked with TSN, ESPN, Sportsnet, DraftKings, the Canadian Football League, National Lacrosse League, OHL, The Sporting News and Bleacher Report. He is also a die-hard Cleveland Browns fan.

Maxwell Millington

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