Matt Money Smith· Feb 26, 2026
Smith says Ladd McConkie is a legitimate No. 1 receiver who could post a Jaylen Waddle-like season of roughly 1,700 yards and eight touchdowns, and he predicts second-year Chargers receiver Trey Harris will have a big year under Mike McDaniel. He also expects Philip Rivers to become an NFL head coach and thinks the Chargers offense will be good in the coming season.
“He could end up with Jalen Waddle like seventeen hundred yard eight touchdown season.”
said on air or in an interview · The Herd with Colin Cowherd (podcast) · read the original →
The page this came from has changed since we captured it on Aug 5, 2026. The quote and evidence above are from our capture, not from what the page says today.
3 checkable claims — 2 player season numbers and 1 depth chart call — each graded on its own rather than as one all-or-nothing bet.
It names 2 players and teams, each linked to their own record.
All 3 have settled, averaging 47.2 out of 100, against 85 for a naive guess at the same calls.
Their call against what happened
receiving yards1,700They said
789What happened
Their call against what actually happened.
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Who this take is about
3 checkable claims in this take
Each one is scored on its own against the published methodology. A pundit naming several outcomes is graded on each, not on all-or-nothing.
Ladd McConkey to record 1,700 receiving yards
“He could end up with Jalen Waddle like seventeen hundred yard eight touchdown season. It wouldn't surprise me.”
Miss · 0Scored 0a naive guess scored 89.95-89.95 skillHow this was scored
- naive:
- 749.37
- skill:
- -89.95
- what happened:
- 789
- player:
- Ladd McConkey
- season:
- 2025
- accuracy:
- 0
- baseline:
- 89.95
- predicted:
- 1700
- statistic:
- receiving_yards
- difficulty:
- 1
- last season:
- 1149
- weeks in the season:
- 18
- weeks left when called:
- 0
- position average:
- 349.73
- zero at percent out:
- 50
Ladd McConkey to be 1st on the depth chart
“I think Lad's a legitimate number one receiver.”
Hit · 92Scored 91.67a naive guess scored 91.67+0 skillHow this was scored
- club:
- LAC
- skill:
- 0
- player:
- Ladd McConkey
- season:
- 2025
- accuracy:
- 91.67
- baseline:
- 91.67
- position:
- WR
- naive slot:
- 1
- actual slot:
- 2
- difficulty:
- 1
- measured by:
- receptions
- the naive guess:
- where he sat last season
- weeks in the season:
- 18
- predicted slot:
- 1
- weeks left when called:
- 0
Ladd McConkey to record 8 receiving tds
“He could end up with Jalen Waddle like seventeen hundred yard eight touchdown season. It wouldn't surprise me.”
Close · 50Scored 50a naive guess scored 73.31-23.31 skillHow this was scored
- naive:
- 5.2
- skill:
- -23.31
- what happened:
- 6
- player:
- Ladd McConkey
- season:
- 2025
- accuracy:
- 50
- baseline:
- 73.31
- predicted:
- 8
- statistic:
- receiving_tds
- difficulty:
- 1
- last season:
- 7
- weeks in the season:
- 18
- weeks left when called:
- 0
- position average:
- 3.4
- zero at percent out:
- 50
What others said about the same people
- Rich EisenGame Outcome Picks · Los Angeles ChargersMiss · 0Eisen picked Josh Allen to lead the NFL in total touchdowns over any QB-WR or QB-RB combo, flipped from the Lions to the Bears as NFC North winner, and made several Week 2 game calls, including the Patriots at home, the Jets over Green Bay, and both LA teams winning. He also picked a Jaguars-Broncos AFC title game.
- Nick ShookGame Outcome Picks · Los Angeles ChargersMiss · 0Shook said he would take the Steelers and Jaguars to win outright on the road, still expects the Chargers to beat the Raiders, and thinks Baltimore's run game will turn the Saints game into a double-digit Ravens win.
- Pete PriscoScore Predictions · Los Angeles ChargersClose · 40Prisco picks four road/home winners with exact scores: Falcons over Panthers, Bears over Vikings, Jaguars upsetting Broncos, Chargers over Raiders, and Cowboys over Commanders.
- Pete PriscoScore Predictions · Los Angeles ChargersClose · 40Prisco picks final scores for every Week 2 NFL game, with several teams that lost in Week 1 — the Chargers, Patriots, Cowboys, Packers and Rams — bouncing back, and the Bills outlasting the Lions in a shootout.
- Dan BeyerGame Outcome Picks · Los Angeles ChargersMiss · 0Beyer picked the Chargers as his Week 2 survivor pick, saying they won't start 0-2 at home against the Raiders, and said the 49ers over the Dolphins and the Eagles over the Titans look like easy picks. He also predicted Marvin Harrison Jr. could be traded.
- John BreechScore Predictions · Los Angeles ChargersClose · 40Breech picks every Week 2 game with scores, takes the Cardinals to upset the Seahawks, sees a Bills-Lions shootout, predicts Baker Mayfield's revenge win over Cleveland, and says the Browns will miss the playoffs while the Dolphins go winless.
More player season numbers
The same kind of call, about other players and teams.
- Ross JacksonPlayer Season Numbers · Tyler ShoughMiss · 4Jackson projects a big sophomore jump for Saints QB Tyler Shuck, laying out a Drake May-style stat line (17 starts, 72% completions, ~4,601 passing yards, 24 TDs, 9 INTs) or a Bo Nix-style consistency line (over 4,000 yards, over 20 TDs, ~10 INTs), and says either path means a playoff season for New Orleans in 2026.
- Chris BroussardPlayer Season Numbers · Lamar JacksonMiss · 0Broussard expects Lamar Jackson to play well but not vintage — two touchdown passes and no picks — while Derrick Henry carries the load with over 100 rushing yards. He also takes the Browns to upset the Bengals and believes Myles Garrett gets at least two sacks to break the single-season record.
- Nick WrightPlayer Season Numbers · Myles GarrettHit · 100Wright picks the Steelers to beat the Ravens outright in Pittsburgh, takes Seattle over San Francisco, and thinks the Browns lose to Cincinnati even as Myles Garrett gets the sack record.
- Nick WrightPlayer Season Numbers · Myles GarrettHit · 84Nick Wright says Myles Garrett is playing at an all-time level and might reach 25 sacks this season, and among his weekly picks he expects the Bears to beat the Steelers in an ugly low-margin home win and Seattle to win comfortably at Tennessee.
- Shannon SharpePlayer Season Numbers · T.J. WattMiss · 0On a Bengals-Steelers matchup, Sharpe took the over on several player props: Ja'Marr Chase over 74.5 receiving yards, Joe Flacco over 36.5 pass attempts, and T.J. Watt over 3.5 tackles+assists, adding that Watt will get two sacks. He also predicted Rico Dowdle would make the Pro Bowl this season.
- Rich EisenPlayer Season Numbers · Micah ParsonsClose · 56Eisen made a series of picks: Micah Parsons will out-sack any two Cowboys combined (after initially leaning the other way), the NFC North is more likely to produce a Super Bowl team than the NFC East, Eagles wins will outnumber Cowboys losses, Bo Nix/Courtland Sutton will out-touchdown Cam Ward/Calvin Ridley, and Marvin Harrison Jr./James Conner will beat Kamara/Olave in yards and TDs. He also picked the AFC West order and said Deion Sanders is more likely than Bill Belichick to have a winning record.