Why Steelers’ Search Should Concern Chiefs, Andy Reid

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The last time the Pittsburgh Steelers had to search for a head coach, no one had an iPhone, not to mention the ability to conduct a virtual interview on a computer.

But the Steelers are off and running, less than 24 hours after Mike Tomlin stepped down and made Andy Reid the league’s longest tenured head coach. And their first reported interview request should concern Kansas City.

Perfect fit for Chiefs

Nate Scheelhaase is a perfect fit for the Chiefs, and Kansas City’s offensive-coordinator role is a perfect fit for Scheelhaase. The Rams’ pass game coordinator, however, was the first name Art Rooney II and the Steelers on Wednesday requested to interview for their head-coach vacancy.

Scheelhaase, 35, is a Kansas City product, a four-year starting quarterback in college and a branch off the Sean McVay tree – all golden reasons why Reid should be blowing up his phone.

But while the Chiefs pay their coaches better than any team in the NFL, the best Kansas City can offer Scheelhaase is an offensive-coordinator role. In addition to Pittsburgh, Scheelhaase also reportedly has received head-coach interview requests from Cleveland and Las Vegas, in addition to Pittsburgh.

Steelers have a type

And the Steelers clearly have a type. Their last three head-coach hires were Tomlin at age 34 in 2007, Bill Cowher at age 34 in 1992 and Chuck Noll at age 37 in 1969. Scheelhaase turned 35 in November.

Because the Rams are playing in the divisional round at Chicago on Sunday, Scheelhaase can’t interview until Monday at the earliest if the Rams lose, or Jan. 26 if they beat the Bears. A Rams win, in other words, would buy Reid and the Chiefs some time.

mcva — Jan 4, 2026; Inglewood, California, USA; Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay reacts with quarterback Matthew Stafford (9) after a touchdown against the Arizona Cardinals during the second half at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Could Reid have already started interviewing?

Reid and the Chiefs aren’t the type of team that announces interviews, so Reid may have already interviewed candidates for his offensive coordinator role. But as Reid has said himself, there are no longer any secrets in the NFL, so it’s likely that he hasn’t started.

He could be waiting on Matt Nagy’s quest to earn his own head-coach role. Nagy has conducted first interviews with the Cardinals, Raiders, Ravens and Titans. Tennessee and former Chiefs executive Mike Borgonzi are considered the most likely landing spot for Nagy, although the Titans reportedly have requested interviews with 19 total candidates as of Wednesday afternoon, including Chiefs defensive coordinator Matt Nagy.

nag — Aug 9, 2025; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Matt Nagy against the Arizona Cardinals during a preseason NFL game at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Another potential Chiefs offensive coordinator who’s also been requested for head-coach interviews is Mike McDaniel. In addition to his reported interviews with Atlanta, Baltimore, Cleveland and Tennessee, the former Dolphins head coach also has scheduled an offensive-coordinator interview with Dan Campbell and the Lions.

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