The Kansas City Chiefs were mammoth winners on Saturday in the Divisional Round in more ways than you may realize.
Beating the Houston Texans to advance to the AFC Championship for the seventh consecutive year is an obvious reason to celebrate, though the Detroit Lions’ loss to the Washington Commanders provides more cause for joy.
Chiefs offensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo and offensive coordinator Matt Nagy are both among the candidates to earn head coaching jobs this offseason. The Lions’ Aaron Glenn and Ben Johnson, who hold the same respective positions, are as well. Coordinators can’t interview in person at this point until after their seasons end, meaning teams can move forward with Glenn and Johnson but must wait for Spagnuolo and Nagy.
An underrated benefit of advancing to the AFC Championship Game: Teams cannot hold in-person interviews with Chiefs coordinators for head-coaching jobs until after conference championship weekend. https://t.co/aXOflnkT7K
— Charles Goldman (@goldmctNFL) January 19, 2025
Both Spagnuolo and Nagy have expressed their desire to become head coaches again. The Chiefs’ continuity is one of the biggest reasons the organization has so seemlessly remained on the same page, so losing either one would represent a major blow.
Glenn and Johnson, by most media, are considered stronger head coaching candidates than Kansas City’s duo. Now that opposing teams can meet with them in person, it’d make sense to offer the job if you believe either man is the right fit. Should a front office wait, it runs the risk of losing out on all of them.
The quirky nature of the NFL’s interview rules do give the Chiefs a sizeable advantage. We’ve already seen the Patriots hire Mike Vrabel, for example, and things move quickly to ensure that coaches have time to fill out their respective staffs and start scouting college players.
Spagnuolo and Nagy deserve any and every opportunity that comes their way. A surprising downside of their success is that they’re often left behind in the interview process. Both have received virtual interviews already, so perhaps they’ve established good connections. Either way, the Lions’ loss should give Chiefs fans a moment of relief.
For now, the entire franchise is focused on winning a third straight Super Bowl, for which the Chiefs have the best odds at FanDuel Sportsbook (+230) following the Divisional Round win.
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