Andy Reid responds to buzz around Chiefs coordinators leaving

That the Kansas City Chiefs are a model franchise is nothing new. That they're able to do so in (previously) never overlapping categories is unprecedented.

In today's NFL, finding sustained success is already difficult to do in the age of parity. The Philadelphia Eagles have two Super Bowl wins in recent memory, yet the franchise hit rock bottom with a last-place finish and coaching change in between. For the Chiefs, however, the reign of supremacy has essentially never wavered since Patrick Mahomes arrived to take an already winning franchise to the next level.

That said, the even more difficult thing to do in the NFL is to achieve organizational continuity. Leadership turnover is a very real thing, win or lose. The joke that the NFL stands for "not for long" is often applied to the fact that coaches are here today and gone tomorrow in the sport, yet the Chiefs have been able to maintain a strong organizational culture by largely holding onto their own.

Losing franchises seek new leaders. Winning franchises find their staffs poached by those losing teams. Yet somehow, the Chiefs, who have appeared in five of the last six Super Bowls, have kept their coordinators in place over several seasons. Matt Nagy has been in place for three years now as offensive coordinator, while Steve Spagnuolo has been entrenched since 2019.

That might be changing soon. Nagy has already been mentioned in conjunction with the Tennessee Titans head coach opening, with former Chiefs exec Mike Borgonzi making the decisions in the front office.

Andy Reid is rooting for Matt Nagy (and others) to get the coaching opportunities they desire.

Chiefs head coach Andy Reid clearly appreciates having trusted men around him as his colleagues on staff, but he's also been a fierce advocate for anyone who wants to leave for a promotion or new challenge. When asked about whether or not he's fielded calls from any team wanting to check in on Nagy, Reid said he's not taking such calls in-season but that he's rooting for his coordinators all the same.

"Nobody's called, but I'm his biggest fan—and Spag's likewise. Listen, if they have that opportunity, more power to them, but no, I haven't been talking. I don't talk to many people during the season, and I don't read anything. I hope he gets that opportunity for sure—tremendous coach and person," said Reid during Wednesday's media session.

Nagy returned to the Chiefs in 2022 as quarterbacks coach and took over as offensive coordinator following Eric Bieniemy's departure. He previously served in the same role from 2013-17 before leaving to take over as head coach of the Chicago Bears, where he served for four seasons before getting fired after failing to post a winning record in his final three years in the Windy City.

The Titans have a lot of runway to make their next head coaching selection after firing Brian Callahan just one third into the NFL season. However, it gives Borgonzi, who used to be the assistant GM in K.C., the time to get ahead of other teams and research the field for the best candidate possible.

It's also worth noting that Borgonzi's biggest investment will inform the search in a considerable way. The Titans owned the top pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, and Borgonzi decided to take Cam Ward as his franchise quarterback. It's a major bet on a talented prospect, but the next coach will be one selected to get the most out of him, much like Ben Johnson's recent hire in Chicago.

Borgonzi was in Kansas City when the Chiefs traded for Alex Smith and then drafted Patrick Mahomes five seasons later, so he knows a thing or two about how the position should be developed and handled. Perhaps Nagy will be the man for the job.