The Kansas City Chiefs have requested an interview with Las Vegas Raiders running back coach Deland McCullough, according to a report from Connor Byrne of ProFootballRumors.com via Adam Schefter of ESPN.
It’s an unusual request given the recent history here, but this looks a little like a typical NFL “buddy hire” as new offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy tries to get the band back together. McCullough (no relation) was the Chiefs running back coach from 2018-2020, and last season was his first with the Raiders. He returned to the college ranks after the 2020 season, coaching at Indiana and Notre Dame.
It would certainly make sense for McCullough to bail and return to Kansas City after the Raiders’ disastrous season. The running backs coach had a promising top-ten pick to work with in running back Ashton Jeanty, but Jeanty struggled to find holes and running lanes throughout the season behind a bad offensive line.
The Raiders are reportedly hiring Seattle Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Lubiak as their new head coach right after the Super Bowl, and assuming the final negotiations go smoothly, it’s hard to believe Kubiak wouldn’t want to hire his own staff going forward.
McCullough would face an intriguing challenge if he does return to Kansas City. The Chiefs has a subpar running game last year, and as a former NFL running back, Bieniemy would almost certainly be looking to change that, and given the history it’s worth a quick trip in the way-back machine to see who the Chiefs running backs were during his tenure.
It’s not a stellar list, but then again the Chiefs don’t really need a stellar running game. The primary back in 2018 was Damien Williams, who went on a late season playoff run, and the other familiar name that season was running back Kareem Hunt, who was released during the season but starred this past season in a short yardage role.
Other familiar names include running backs LeSean McCoy and Le’Veon Bell, both of whom were added late in their respective careers, and there’s also the ill-fated top draft pick in 2020, Clyde Edwards-Helaire, whose performance was so mediocre that he seems to have convinced the Chiefs not to waste another top pick on a running back.
That question looms again for Bieniemy and head coach Andy Reid, but it’s far more likely the Chiefs add a Day 2 or Day 3 pick and try to coach him up. That would be McCullough’s job if he gets hired, but he’d be returning to a very different team coming off a 6-11 season.