Chiefs Should Hire Jeff Fisher Now!

Whenever Kansas City Chiefs General Manager Scott Pioli speaks, he is fond of drawing attention to his focus on constantly looking for ways to improve the team. With Jeff Fisher’s recent departure from the Tennessee Titans, Pioli has just been handed a golden opportunity to do exactly that. Make no mistake, this is the kind of opportunity that only comes around, at most, perhaps once in a decade. Pioli must act now and he must act decisively.

It is painfully clear that Todd Haley very much wants absolute control of the Chiefs offense. It is also quite apparent that no legitimate, self-respecting offensive coordinator is going to be interested in the OC job at KC because of Haley’s heavy hand in that department. Even an aspiring OC is not likely to be especially keen to taking the position because, quite frankly, the experience would do little for their resume.

With Fisher’s availability, figuring out what to do about the offensive coordinator position might just have become a rather easy problem to solve. How so? Bring in Jeff Fisher as the new head coach and make Todd Haley the asst HC and OC. Make no mistake, when I say give Todd Haley the OC job, I mean give him total, unfettered power over the offense as in absolutely zero interference from Fisher on anything offense related. Strange as it may sound, allowing Haley free reign over the offense while simultaneously putting him alongside a top echelon head coach would present an ideal opportunity for Haley to grow as a coach and enhance his own resume, especially if our offense continues to improve.

I will go one step further. Such a move also makes profound business sense for Clark Hunt. Under Todd Haley, the Chiefs won the AFC West this year and went to the playoffs. Yet in spite of that on-the-field success, season ticket sales have remained stagnant and continue to be among the worst in the league. There is one big reason for this. Todd Haley is a polarizing figure among Chiefs fans and as a result, people (as in ticket buyers) are generally tentative in their support of the guy. Nor does Todd Haley exactly inspire belief through either his appearance or his style of communication. I mean come on, Haley’s speaking voice is a cross between Bill Clinton and Elmer Fudd, but without the charisma of either.

All this would immediately change with Fisher. Fisher is a known, respected, and successful commodity in the NFL. Fisher would bring a strong sense of composure and stability to the organization. Fisher is somebody that people like, trust, and will believe in. Fisher can communicate. Bottom line, ticket sales would jump with the announcement of his hire.

There are two obstacles to making all this happen, one being Jeff Fisher’s willingness to align himself with Clark Hunt and Scott Pioli, the other being Todd Haley’s ego. I have to believe the first hurdle would be a no brainer for Fisher. As to the latter, it really all boils down to whether Todd Haley is truly committed to the success of this organization and possesses the ability to put aside his ego by recognizing how much this move would improve the team and improve him as a coach.

Scott Pioli will probably never get another opportunity to upgrade this team in such a dramatic fashion. In hiring Fisher, he can kill two birds with one stone – solve the OC conundrum and improve the HC position – or, as I might say, Make it a Double!

So what do you think Addicts? Seize the day or continue the gamble?