4 Reasons Chiefs' Matt Nagy Is in Play for Titans

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Matt Nagy’s week is about to get very interesting.

And, as a result, Andy Reid might finally have some clarity on his next steps at offensive coordinator.

Nagy, who conducted head-coach interviews with four teams this month, has earned his initial second interview. Per Ian Rapoport, Nagy is scheduling an in-person interview with Titans general manager Mike Borgonzi.

The #Titans are setting up second, in-person interviews with top candidates, and they’ll have #Packers DC Jeff Hafley and #Chiefs OC Matt Nagy in early this week, sources say.

The hope is also for Kevin Stefanski on Sunday, though the #Falcons may strike first. pic.twitter.com/EZLotOGD1m
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 17, 2026

Nagy, 47, will have competition from Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley and, if he gets that far, former Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski.

Intriguing three finalists

It’s a fascinating first three finalists for the Titans, who’ve selected a current offensive coordinator (Nagy), current defensive coordinator (Hafley) and 2025 NFL head coach (Stefanski). Both Nagy and Hafley are former head coaches, too, Nagy with the Chicago Bears (2018-21) and Hafley with Boston College (2020-23).

However, Rapoport also reported Saturday that Stefanski has emerged as the front-runner for the head-coach job in Atlanta. What’s more, Hafley is a leading candidate for the Miami Dolphins job.

Whether Stefanski or Hafley even get to Nashville before the Falcons and Dolphins, respectively, lay out their red carpets remains to be seen. And after the Packers and Matt LaFleur agreed to move forward on a contract extension Saturday, Nagy’s window appears wide open in Tennessee.

But don’t call Nagy a default candidate. The Chiefs’ offensive coordinator since 2023, and before that a key offensive advisor for Andy Reid before he left for the Bears, Nagy getting a second interview is significant for many reasons.

nagy, vrabe — Tennessee Titans head coach Mike Vrabel, right, shakes hands with Chicago Bears head coach Matt Nagy before the start of the preseason game at Soldier Field Thursday, Aug. 29, 2019 in Chicago, Ill | George Walker IV / Tennessean.com, Nashville Tennessean via Imagn Content Services, LLC

Four reasons Nagy's a great fit for Titans

First, the Titans reportedly interviewed 19 candidates in the first round. No other team with a vacancy interviewed more. So, Nagy appears to have beaten out 16 other candidates, including Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo (who interviewed for the role Jan. 8).

Another reason is his history with Patrick Mahomes, who gave him a strong recommendation on Thursday.

“Yeah, I love Coach Nagy,” Mahomes said Thursday in his first comments since season-ending surgery last month, “and he's done a lot of great things in my career to help me become the quarterback that I am. I know that he's looking to take that step and get back to the head-coaching spot, and I hope he gets another opportunity to do that.

“But he's a great man, a great person. It's been cool to see the changes to him as a coach, him going to be a head coach and coming back. But he gave me a lot of ideas to be better as a person, as a quarterback. And so, hoping the best for him as he goes through this head-coaching process and he gets another opportunity to go out there and lead an organization.”

Plus, Nagy has a long relationship with Borgonzi, something that could benefit the Titans. Before earning the Titans’ general manager post a year ago, Borgonzi even predated Andy Reid in Kansas City.

Borgonzi and Nagy worked together in each of Nagy’s two stints in Kansas City, from 2013-17 and 2022-24.

nag — Dec 30, 2018; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Chicago Bears head coach Matt Nagy during a game between the Minnesota Vikings and Chicago Bears at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-Imagn Images | Brace Hemmelgarn-Imagn Images

Finally, Nagy earned NFL Coach of the Year honors in 2018 by leading the Bears to the playoffs with a highly drafted starting quarterback from the prior regime, Mitchell Trubisky. Like the 2018 Bears, Tennessee has a quarterback in Cam Ward drafted in the top two who’ll be entering his second season in 2026.

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