2 Reasons McCullough Isn’t a Lock as Chiefs RB Coach

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Kansas City took a significant step toward filling the most important vacancy on its coaching staff Thursday afternoon.

According to insider Adam Schefter, Andy Reid has submitted a formal request to interview Raiders running backs coach Deland McCullough, who spent 2018-20 in the same role with the Chiefs.

However, the Raiders still need to approve the request because McCullough is under contract.

Las Vegas fired head coach Pete Carroll two days after the Raiders beat Kansas City in the Jan. 4 season-finale, but most of his assistant coaches are believed to remain under contract as they await the team’s decision to hire its next head coach.

There are two reasons Tom Brady and the Raiders conceivably wouldn’t approve Reid’s request.

andy reid, pete carrol — Oct 19, 2025; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Las Vegas Raiders head coach Pete Carroll and Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid shake hands after the game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images | Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

1-Division rival

The most obvious reason is that teams generally aren’t too quick to release assistant coaches from their contracts in order to help heated division rivals.

McCullough, who left Reid’s staff to become Indiana’s running backs coach in 2021, also spent three seasons (2022-24) as Marcus Freeman’s running backs coach at Notre Dame. Freeman promoted him to assistant head coach in 2024 before Carroll lured him to Las Vegas a year ago.

ashton jeant — Jan 4, 2026; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Las Vegas Raiders running back Ashton Jeanty (2) carries the ball against Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Drue Tranquill (23) in the first half at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

In Las Vegas, McCullough tutored one of the brightest rookie running backs in recent memory, and one of the few bright spots in a forgettable Raiders season, Ashton Jeanty.

And while the Raiders did apparently release defensive coordinator Patrick Graham, who reportedly is set to join Mike McCarthy in Pittsburgh, Las Vegas might not be so quick to rubber stamp Reid’s request for McCullough.

2-Kubiak watch

The reason both Las Vegas and Arizona remain as the final two teams without head coaches is Klint Kubiak. Both teams are scheduled to meet with the Seahawks’ offensive coordinator this weekend, as he prepares to square off with the Patriots in Super Bowl 60.

While both teams can interview him in-person this weekend in Seattle, they can’t hire him until after the Feb. 8 Super Bowl.

william — Dec 29, 2019; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs running back Damien Williams (26) is congratulated by tackle Eric Fisher (72) after scoring a touchdown against the Los Angeles Chargers during the second half at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images | Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

And if the Raiders win the Kubiak sweepstakes, they might want to give him the opportunity to keep McCullough, widely regarded as one of the NFL’s top running backs coaches.

Related to that, because teams can’t hire Kubiak until after the Super Bowl, they’d be reducing the time he has to hire his first coaching staff. That’s a reason the Raiders, and Cardinals for that matter, might want to decline interview requests for coaches under contract until hiring their head coaches.

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