Why Nagy’s Plight Is Referendum on Chiefs’ 2025 Offense

Jewel of a coach

“Somebody's missing a gem here,” head coach Andy Reid said Monday, referring to Nagy. “That's how I feel. And I would love to see him get picked up and going, and at the same time we got back a gem. So, it has a chance to be a win-win here, when everything's said and done.”

The gem the Chiefs got back was Eric Bieniemy, a move Reid had to make because Nagy’s contract had expired and the team fully expected Nagy to find another home, either as head coach or calling plays as an autonomous offensive coordinator.

And while there’s a small chance either the Raiders or Cardinals hire Nagy as head coach, he’s still searching for a 2026 landing spot.

Either this or that

So, either Nagy has some of the worst luck in recent memory or there’s a reason why those teams didn’t offer him. That reason obviously lies within the Chiefs’ 2025 offense, and seemingly serves as the most likely reason Nagy is still unemployed.

From Weeks 3-7 this past season, the Chiefs were arguably the best offense in the league. The Chiefs and Patrick Mahomes were in conversations as favorites for the Super Bowl and MVP, respectively.

Chiefs' offense collapsed

Then, the bottom fell out faster than a sinkhole swallowing a house, as the Chiefs eight of their last nine games.

Regardless, Reid earlier this week made every effort, publicly and privately, to help Nagy’s cause.

“I want Matt to have a chance to be a head football coach,” Reid added, “and do the things that he's been dreaming of doing. I mean, that's huge in this business. He's sitting at an important time with some openings in this league that you very seldom see, where you've got these 10 at one time here, 10 different openings. There's opportunities there.”

Those opportunities appear to have evaporated like puddles in sunshine. While Nagy has played an integral role in one of the league’s more explosive offenses and worked closely with Mahomes in three straight Super Bowl seasons (2022-24), his chances are dwindling quickly.

Some decisions are shocking, too. First-year head coach Jesse Minter, for instance, just hired 29-year-old Declan Doyle to call offensive plays for Lamar Jackson and the Ravens. Doyle is four months younger than Mahomes.

And, two months prior to Doyle’s first birthday in 1997, Reid was a Green Bay tight ends coach, helping the Packers beat Bill Parcells and the Patriots in Reid’s first Super Bowl.

In contrast, Nagy has critical experience calling plays, experience leading an NFL team to the playoffs, and a Coach of the Year award on his resume. That experience seemed more valuable than a candidate who hasn’t reached his 30th birthday.

“Matt and I have a great relationship,” Reid said. “Right before the season even started here, I knew that he wanted an opportunity to have his own show. He's been a head coach. He was Coach of the Year. I mean, this guy, all the things I've said about him, I still feel about him.

“He deserves to have a head-coaching job.”

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