Lisa Foxx
The Kansas City Chiefs just ended another successful season. It was statistically and visually the worst season for the Chiefs offense under the leadership of quarterback Patrick Mahomes. Of course, a down season for Mahomes is considered a success by any other measure.
Despite all the odds, the Chiefs just won their third Championship under Mahomes and head coach Andy Reid. It was their second Super Bowl win in two years and their fourth trip to the big dance together. Their three SB wins in five years and the recent repeat victory has put the Mahomes/Reid duo in elite company. As inspiring as that win was, there is more work to do.
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It’s a good thing the Chiefs have tied Spags up for another contract, as Matt Verderame has said, Spags belongs — one day — in the NFL Hall of Fame:
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In the meantime, LB Coach Ken Flajplie has retired:
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The Chiefs are chomping at the bit to stake their place in history. Even before the confetti had fallen to the ground after SB 58, Mahomes and his All-Pro tight end Travis Kelce were talking about next year. The duo can be heard on the Championship stage in Las Vegas talking about going for a 3-peat.
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It’s something that has never been done before in the NFL. Mahomes and Kelce are aware they are staking claim in NFL history, and they want to make sure their footprints firmly set in that cement. How do you make history? One step at a time. The first step is to make sure your foundation is set.
The NFL Scouting Combine begins this week in Indianapolis, IN. It’s the first time many fans get to see the college prospects that may join their teams. More importantly, it’s the first time NFL coaches and GMs will have to meet college prospects in person and learn about the individual and not just the athlete. It’s as important for these coaches and executives to make the best choices possible for their team as it is for the athlete to show who he is and what he can add to any team that may be considering him.
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Choosing the right players for the team is important but choosing the right coaches for those players is crucial. Coaches can make or break a team and how they interact with the players is something that is often taken for granted. The Chiefs’ dominance in the league over the last several years has proven they understand the importance of coaching and continuity to an organization.
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Contrary to previous years, the Chiefs defense was hailed as one of the best in the league this past season. As the offense struggled with dropped passes, young wide receivers, and separation issues, it was the Chiefs defense that stepped up and helped lead the Chiefs to the Super Bowl.
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The defensive change began last year but this year was when everything seemed to click. Last season, the Chiefs played several rookies on defense, who came up big for the team in the team’s playoff run. This year, those rookies are now second-year players who better understand the system and feel more confident in their abilities and their role on the defense. It showed on the field.
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Defensive Coordinator Steve Spagnuolo received quite a bit of recognition this season as teams and the media began to realize the team’s vast improvement of the defense over previous years. Once a liability, the defense ended the season as a top five squad. It held 20 of 21 opponents under 25 points in a game, the only defense to ever do that in NFL history.
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Spagnuolo, better known as Spags, has been a head coach in the past. Unfortunately for him, his time as head coach for the New York Giants did not go well. He has not been offered another HC opportunity since.
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A disastrous outing as head coach first time around doesn’t mean other teams wouldn’t be willing to give him a shot. On the contrary, no one has ever questioned Spags’ defensive mind. Some teams desperate for success would certainly be willing to speak to him about an HC opportunity, or a DC position, at the very least. That’s just how the NFL coaching carousel works. With Spags’ popularity at an all-time high due to the Chiefs defensive explosion, he is a hot commodity.
He is now the only assistant coach to win four SBs in NFL history, and talk has begun about the possibility of Spags being the first coordinator to ever be voted into the NFL Hall of Fame. That’s probably why the Chiefs decided to lock in their defensive coordinator. Shortly after SB 58 the Chiefs agreed to an extension with Spagnuolo, essentially taking one of the greatest defensive minds currently in the game off the table for other teams. The following week the Chiefs announced that they had also reached an agreement with defensive line coach Joe Cullen.
When All-Pro defensive tackle Chris Jones was asked about the difference in the defense now compared to years past, he did not hesitate: “Joe Cullen” was his response. Jones said Cullen has made all the difference.
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Jones praises Cullen’s coaching abilities and his personal traits every chance he gets and speaks about how much he loves the man. Bringing Cullen back while the Chiefs work to negotiate a contract with Jones leads many to believe that a deal will get done and Jones will be back with the Chiefs for the next several seasons, under contract.
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A team that’s a perennial Super Bowl contender understands it’s more than just the players that make a team a success. It’s about the foundation the coaches and the team lay out for the players that make a difference. Players talk about championship swagger but coaches and executives, who build the team from the bottom up, focus on a championship mentality. It’s about the team culture. The foundation is just as important as the players for whom the foundation is laid.
That is why the Chiefs also shored up special teams and assistant head coach Dave Toub. Toub’s contract was recently extended, keeping him in Kansas City for at least the next few years. Toub is arguably one of the best special teams coaches in the NFL.
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Toub came under fire from fans last year when special teams struggled throughout the regular season. Toub was working with an almost entirely new set of players, many of whom were rookies, and it took time for the corps to gel. Once it did, special teams came up big, with the longest punt return in history by WR Kadarius Toney in 2022 and the longest field goal made in SB history by kicker Harrison Butker in 2023. A muffed punt by San Francisco and a recovery by K.C. on Special Teams also set up the Chiefs first touchdown in SB 58.
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With Toub and Cullen and Spagnuolo all locked up and ready to go for the 3-peat there is one coordinator who still has a question mark hovering. That person is defensive backs coach Dave Merritt. Merritt has been with the Chiefs organization since 2019 when he joined the team as the defensive backs coach. He just won his fifth SB as a coordinator: three with the Chiefs and two with the New York Giants as their secondary & safeties coach in 2006 and 2011 respectively.
Merritt is held in high regard and has done wonders with the Chiefs young defensive backs since his arrival. He is credited with developing young defensive backs who have gone on to get paid by and challenge for championships with other teams. He has been so successful with the team’s DBs that the Chiefs are currently trying to decide whether to pay, tag and/or trade L’Jarius Sneed, a cornerback the Chiefs drafted in the fourth round of the 2020 NFL Draft and is now regarded as one of the best in the league.
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Merritt met this week with the San Francisco 49ers to discuss their defensive coordinator opening. The 49ers fired their last DC Steve Wilks after their team fell to the Chiefs 22-25 in SB 58 on February 11th. Although in high demand, Merritt also recently said in an interview that he wouldn’t take a DC position until his children are older and out of the house.
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Of course, sustained success can change anyone’s plans. Merritt has a son who will finish up his junior year this spring at Blue Valley High School, but no word yet on Merritt’s plans.
The offensive foundation seems to be set — Andy Reid is currently working on a contract extension with the Chiefs. Only one last piece is waiting to fall into place on the defensive coaching side.
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Once that’s complete, whichever way it may fall, the Chiefs will be ready to start choosing players, deciding who will join them on their quest to make NFL history with a Super Bowl 3-peat on the line.
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Lisa Foxx — ArrowheadOne
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