The Kansas City Chiefs are currently going through a lot of changes, and one of them is staff members interviewing for other jobs. The big names so far have been coordinators Matt Nagy and Steve Spagnuolo, both of whom are interviewing for head coaching jobs, but there’s another coach following this path whose name has gone under the radar to date.
According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, Chiefs defensive line coach Joe Cullen is interviewing with the Washington Commanders for their defensive coordinator opening.
Cullen’s a veteran coach who’s respected around the league, according to Matt Conner of Arrowhead Addict, who wrote a piece based on the report. Cullen’s resume includes stints with the Baltimore Ravens, Jacksonville Jaguars, Cleveland Browns, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and he was a coordinator for the Jaguars. That was back during the ill-fated Urban Meyer era, though, so Cullen is looking to climb back into a coordinator role during the current hiring cycle.
Listing him would be significant, but not insurmountable. Cullen was hired by Spagnuolo after his stint with Jacksonville, and he took over the defensive line when Brendan Daly shifted over to coach the linebackers. Cullen energized the line’s performance and helped develop the likes of defensive linemen Chris Jones and George Karlaftis, both of whom became premier pass rushers under his tutelage.
But Commanders head coach Dan Quinn is revamping his staff, and Cullen is one of several coaches who will be considered for Washington’s coordinator position. Spagnuolo himself is getting interviews with the New York Giants and Tennessee Titans for their head coaching openings, although Spagnuolo’s age will be a tough obstacle for him to overcome and he’s expected to be back with the Chiefs.
Regardless of who ends up where, coach Andy Reid is making changes. He’s already fired wide receivers coach Connor Embree and defensive quality control coach Louie Addazio. Assistant DL coach Alex Whittingham has already been hired by the University of Michigan to join his father, Kyle, after Michigan head coach Sherrone Moore was fired.
If Cullen does decide to move on, a shakeup could be beneficial for the Chiefs. The line played well during the first half of the season, but the pass rush failed badly down the stretch, and that failure was an integral part of the six-game losing streak that ended the Chiefs season. Bringing in a younger coach to work under Spagnuolo could help going forward, and this could be one of many changes on the Chiefs' agenda.