Polarizing Chiefs OC Tied to Next NFL Head Coaching Cycle

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If the Kansas City Chiefs’ offense bounces back, could Matt Nagy move on next offseason?

Given their recent span of dominance over the NFL, it’s never been a surprise when Kansas City Chiefs employees generate buzz for other vacancies. The 2025 offseason was no different, as several members of the organization interviewed or departed for new jobs.

None of Andy Reid’s top coordinators were in the latter bucket, though there’s growing speculation that one could be in line for an even longer look the next time the league’s coaching carousel spins.

In a July 1 article for Bleacher Report, Moe Moton spotlighted eight coordinators who could land promotions after the season. Current Kansas City offensive coordinator Matt Nagy made the cut, being dubbed as someone who just might get a “second look” for a lead role elsewhere.

Does Matt Nagy’s Track Record Work for or Against Him?

“The Chicago Bears hired Nagy after the 2017 season, before Patrick Mahomes took over the starting quarterback job in Kansas City,” Moton wrote. He went 34-31 as the Bears’ head coach, leading the team to just one winning season. As a potential retread, Nagy’s resume is decent, considering the Bears went 12-4 in 2018 and Mitchell Trubisky made the NFC Pro Bowl roster in his best year as a pro under him. If Nagy sets himself up with a team that has a high-ceiling quarterback, he could be a successful head coach.”

Moton makes a fantastic point about Nagy’s resume being “decent.” In recent years, opinions of him from fans and the league seem to have grown further apart. It’s no coincidence that the trend aligned with the end of his Bears tenure and his second stint with the Chiefs. After making the playoffs twice in his first three years with Chicago, Nagy led the team to a measly 6-11 record in 2021. Mahomes is playing the worst football of his career since Nagy returned to Kansas City.

With that said, there’s more to the story. In the aforementioned 2021-22 campaign, the Bears fielded a then-rookie quarterback in Justin Fields. He clearly wasn’t ready to be the face of a franchise. After a Super Bowl-winning 2022-23 year, the Chiefs’ lack of high-end talent at wide receiver became glaringly obvious, as did a missing long-term solution at left tackle. Tight end Travis Kelce also showed his age and Mahomes simply wasn’t as sharp.

As much as some folks want him to, Nagy can’t wear all of the blame for some of his teams’ unfortunate turns. It appears that the New York Jets bought into that philosophy, as they expressed interest and conducted an interview with Nagy for their previously-open vacancy back in January.

Chiefs’ Offensive Performance This Season Could Swing Nagy’s HC Chances

GettyHow the Chiefs fare on offense could impact Matt Nagy’s chances of becoming a head coach again.

It’s safe to say that for Nagy’s sake, a rebound from the Chiefs’ offense would help. Despite winning the Super Bowl two seasons ago, the unit ranked 15th in points and ninth in yards. Mahomes threw just 27 touchdowns compared to 14 interceptions. Last year, he posted career-lows for a full season in yards (3,928), touchdowns (26) and much more. Once again, Kansas City was 15th in points scored but fell to 16th in yards gained.

That didn’t stop Reid from endorsing Nagy, as well as defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo and special teams coordinator Dave Toub, as head coach candidates.

“You could take all of the coordinators there and put them right in that mix for sure,” Reid said, per the team. “Both of them are – offensive and defensive guys – are phenomenal, Toub does a great job. I know the two names that normally come up are the offensive and defensive coordinators. Both of those two warrant that, yeah, for sure.”

Now that receivers Rashee Rice and Marquise “Hollywood” Brown are healthy, things project to be different. There’s a greater expectation for the Chiefs’ attack in 2025, which should benefit both the team and maybe even its veteran assistant in the long run.

Jordan Foote is a seasoned sports writer who covers the NFL for Heavy.com. He has years of experience editing and publishing NFL and MLB content for Sports Illustrated’s On SI vertical, in addition to a background in NBA coverage for multiple outlets. Foote is a Baker University alumnus, earning his degree in Mass Media. He’s based in Kansas City. More about Jordan Foote