In a surprising move that no one saw coming, Clark Hunt, the Kansas City Chiefs owner and chief operating officer has made two moves that look to re-define the immediate future of the team by re-signing Andy Reid as head coach and choosing to not re-sign general manager John Dorsey.
Firing John Dorsey was done with the following announcements… first this from Clark Hunt:
“I notified John that we would not be extending his contract beyond the 2017 season, and after consideration, we felt it was in his best interests and the best interests of the team to part ways now. This decision, while a difficult one, allows John to pursue other opportunities as we continue our preparations for the upcoming season and the seasons to come. My family and I sincerely appreciate John’s work over the last four-and-a-half years, and we wish him nothing but the best in the future.”
Then, John Dorsey released this statement:
“I want to thank Clark, the Hunt family and the Chiefs fans for the opportunity to be a part of Chiefs Kingdom over the last four seasons. I believe this team is well positioned for the future and I wish Coach Reid, the players and the entire organization all the best.”
Fans had speculated months ago whether or not Dorsey would want to return to the Green Bay Packers to eventually replace Ted Thompson. However, Dorsey had denied that he was going there and said that he and his family were only interested in staying in Kansas City. The move is a shocker and leaves the team with no general manager just five weeks prior to the team beginning training camp, a time when Dorsey was usually able to scavenge a few good players from other teams who would jettison able bodied players for one reason or another.
John Dorsey’s legacy with the Chiefs will have to include a team turn around in record and team depth.
The signing of Dorsey originally was preceded by owner Clark Hunt restructuring the team at the top with each of the GM and the HC reporting to him directly. Consequently, if the reason for this firing was not because Dorsey had expressed his plans to return to Green Bay privately… then the reason has to have had to do with the personal working relationship that Hunt was not comfortable with between he and Dorsey. I doubt this will come as a move by Andy Reid to get Hunt to restructure the team again with Reid receiving more power in the drafting process, however, it was believed that Dorsey and Reid didn’t always see eye-to-eye on those matters.
The firing and hiring of general managers usually comes at the close of a season if that season was a bad one. By firing Dorsey in June… following free agency… following the draft… and especially following the exit of Chris Ballard (hired as the new GM of the Colts) who was popular here and who could have served as the Chiefs new GM… all of these events signal that it was something that has arisen between Hunt and Dorsey recently during this free agency and/or draft seasons.
Now we’re left to speculate until we hear further what might have happened. On to bigger and better things… I hope!.