Three KC Chiefs assistants with head coaching potential for 2023

matt nagy chiefs

"“You can learn a line from a win and a book from defeat.” — Paul Brown"

Quarterbacks coach Matt Nagy has already been a head coach once. But he could get another chance after spending a season in Kansas City. Like Bieniemy, Nagy does have some baggage, stemming from his tenure as head coach of the Chicago Bears. It started off extremely promising, though. Nagy won Coach of the Year in 2018, his first year as head coach. The Bears made the playoffs for the first time since 2010 after a 12-4 season. But Chicago is home to impatient fans and ownership groups. Nagy was fired after a 6-11 season in 2021, despite having a rookie quarterback and two playoff appearances in four years.

In hindsight, Nagy made the best of a ragtag roster. The team is certainly not better off without him, as the Bears currently have a 3-12 record. Nagy, on the other hand, was a bystander after being fired and eventually returned to Kansas City. He has been with Reid for his entire career outside of Chicago, so a reunion in Kansas City was not surprising. He had coached former Kansas City quarterback Alex Smith’s career-defining run with the Chiefs and oversaw Patrick Mahomes’ rookie year. Hell, even Mahomes said he would not be in Kansas City if not for Nagy!

Mahomes is currently having an MVP-caliber year, but Nagy’s presence cannot be denied. His work behind the scenes has undoubtedly aided Kansas City’s success since the Tyreek Hill trade.

All in all, Nagy has a great track record. There were some missteps in Chicago, though, and his release was swifter than it needed to be. If Nagy wants to pursue another head coaching job, then he should have interviews around the league. However, it is not clear if that is his ambition following the 2022 season. A real possibility is that if Bieniemy leaves Kansas City, new job or not, Nagy would slide into the offensive coordinator position. That would not be a terrible outcome ahead of the 2023 season for any party. But Nagy’s head coaching prospects are underrated ahead of the upcoming coaching carousel.