The Kansas City Chiefs could potentially lose defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo to another head coaching opportunity in 2025, and the latest suitor will likely aggravate the KC community.
“The [Las Vegas] Raiders are requesting an interview with Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo for their head-coaching spot, per sources,” The Athletic’s NFL insider Dianna Russini reported on January 8.
On the same day, Spagnuolo also landed an HC interview request with the New York Jets — who have put together a very long list of candidates. NFL Network insider Mike Garafolo reported on the Jets’ interest, reminding fans that the Chiefs DC was once a two-time defensive coordinator and interim head coach with the New York Giants.
Needless to say, if Spagnuolo ever did leave Kansas City, most Chiefs fans would probably prefer that he ended up with a franchise like the Jets rather than a bitter division rival like the Raiders.
Potential Chiefs Successor at Defensive Coordinator Publicly Supports Steve Spagnuolo’s HC Bid
The Spagnuolo news prompted a bit of public support on January 8, and it was his potential successor that spoke out in his favor.
“Spags will create a winning culture unlike no other if he’s selected as a HC! 🙌🏾🙏🏾,” Chiefs’ defensive backs coach Dave Merritt posted on X. “I’ve been with him for 11yrs. I’ve witnessed it firsthand!”
Of course, it’s possible that Merritt could follow Spagnuolo to a new franchise as his defensive coordinator — considering how long they’ve stuck together — but the KC community made it clear that they’d prefer head coach Andy Reid promote the long-time positional coach into his vacant DC role.
“Hey Coach please say that you are staying if he does take [an] HC job,” one fan commented, “hope they award you the job for Chiefs, I know you are the right man if Spags moves on! 🙏”
Another agreed: “I’m only good with this if you take the DC job in KC.”
Finally, Arrowhead Pride lead analyst Ron Kopp Jr. echoed this opinion too, stating: “If we do lose Spags, my vote’s for Merritt to step into the DC role.”
It’ll be interesting to see how many staff members the Chiefs lose if a key figure like Spagnuolo or offensive coordinator Matt Nagy were to take an HC position elsewhere.
Chiefs Assistant GM Mike Borgonzi Lands Another Interview Request: Report
In other news, Chiefs assistant general manager Mike Borgonzi landed his second GM interview request of this hiring cycle on January 8.
Russini reported on this story as well, relaying: “The Tennessee Titans have requested an interview with Chiefs Asst. GM Mike Borgonzi, per source.”
There’s a connection worth monitoring here, according to Sports Illustrated NFL insider Albert Breer.
The day before Russini’s report on January 7, Breer wrote: “If Kansas City Chiefs assistant GM Mike Borgonzi views [the Titans GM] job as a full-on GM role, he’d be way up the list. So, too, would Green Bay Packers vice president of player personnel Jon-Eric Sullivan. Both have relationships with [Tennessee assistant GM Chad] Brinker.”
Breer also voiced his opinion that both Borgonzi and Sullivan would “thrive in a model that resembles the Los Angeles Rams’ setup, where Kevin Demoff oversees things, Tony Pastoors runs football operations, and Les Snead is in a traditional GM role, leading the personnel department.”
Ironically, Kansas City was already a trade partner of the Titans in 2024 under previous GM Ran Carthon, but the two separate deals didn’t work out too well for Tennessee. If Borgonzi were to successfully win this job opportunity, it would presumably reopen phone lines between Nashville and KC — similar to how the Chiefs have a working relationship with the Chicago Bears because of Ryan Poles.
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