Why Chiefs, Andy Reid Desperately Need Clarity on OC Situation

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Matt Nagy, Mike McDaniel, Joe Bleymaier, Nate Scheelhaase, Kliff Kingsbury or Davis Webb.

Or, any of a dozen other names only Andy Reid knows -- privately.

Priceless asset no one knows about

The Kansas City head coach is sitting on a priceless asset, one of the most attractive offensive-coordinator roles in the NFL. The problem is that no one outside Kansas City seems to know whether it’s even available – including insider Peter Schrager.

“There are eight head-coach openings right now,” the ESPN insider said on Friday morning’s edition of Get Up, “and there are some quarterback questions in some of those cities, whether it be Arizona or whether it be Atlanta, or whether it would be Miami.

“Some of the most attractive offensive-coordinator jobs in years are open. Justin Herbert in Los Angeles, Jared Goff and Jahmyr Gibbs in Detroit, Tampa with Baker Mayfield. Then you go to some of these other places where you're like, ‘Well, that doesn't seem so appealing as a head coach, but the offensive-coordinator job could be, because of the quarterback.”

reid, mahome — Feb 11, 2024; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid with quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) against the San Francisco 49ers during Super Bowl LVIII at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Mahomes makes Chiefs most attractive

Speaking of quarterbacks, Patrick Mahomes would vault the Chiefs to the top of that list. But the league’s most-qualified coordinator candidates may not even know that Kansas City is a possibility.

“Yeah, I probably wouldn't get into that right now,” Reid said Jan. 5 with regard to whether he’d prioritize familiarity with his system or an outsider in his next offensive coordinator. “Again, these are logical questions. I've got great guys on the staff here. Joe Bleymaier, I mean, you name some of the guys.

“I mean, you can go down the list, but we've got some qualified guys here. I know qualified guys out there, too, so I've got trust in both places. But I haven't got that far. Neither has Nags, so we'll just see where all this goes. And we got a lot of time on that. They can't even interview them in-person until the 19th. I'm not quite rushing here.”

harbaugh, herber — Aug 16, 2025; Inglewood, California, USA; Los Angeles Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh (left) talks with quarterback Justin Herbert (10) against the Los Angeles Rams in the first half at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Since Reid addressed the topic the day after the season ended, Dan Campbell, Todd Bowles and Reid’s AFC West rival Jim Harbaugh have already interviewed candidates. Dan Quinn in Washington has already hired his guy, David Blough.

Meanwhile, Nagy completed four head-coach interviews last week. He can begin in-person second interviews on Monday. There’s no guarantee the 2018 NFL Coach of the Year will get any of them. With an expired contract in Kansas City, Nagy could be a fantastic hire as offensive coordinator for one of the nine new head coaches, with more autonomy than Reid provides.

matt nag — Jul 22, 2024; St. Joseph, MO, USA; Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Matt Nagy jogs down the hill from the locker room to the fields prior to training camp at Missouri Western State University. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images | Denny Medley-Imagn Images

Answers that could help Chiefs

Reid doesn’t need to wait to answer critical questions.

Would Reid delegate even more play-calling responsibility to his next coordinator? Has Reid communicated to Nagy whether he’s a candidate for a new contract in Kansas City? Has Reid talked to potential candidates for that role, internally or externally?

No one seems to know.

andy rei — Dec 25, 2025; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs coach Andy Reid during the fourth quarter at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images | Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

Reid was the league’s most aggressive and successful fourth-down head coach in 2025. Mahomes and the Chiefs had no doubts whether they were going for it because Reid was decisive, clear and confident.

The organization could certainly benefit in the same way with a similar approach to its next offensive coordinator.

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