Four minor moves that made a big difference for KC Chiefs in ’22
By Matt Conner
Hire Joe Cullen
It almost feels unfair terming this a “minor” move, but it’s not very often that anyone makes a big deal out of hiring a coach at a positional level so we’ll go with it.
Last offseason, the Chiefs managed to convince former Jacksonville Jaguars defensive coordinator Joe Cullen to join the staff after a bit of reshuffling. Former linebackers coach Matt House left to coach at LSU as their new DC, so Andy Reid shifted Brendan Daly from the defensive line to linebackers and imported Cullen to be a fresh voice to a troubled spot on the roster.
The results speak for themselves in 2022. Khalen Saunders had a breakout season. Chris Jones put up his best year ever. Mike Danna has made serious steps forward and should be a menace in his contract season. Turk Wharton looked better before he suffered a season-ending injury. George Karlaftis looked more impressive week after week, and Frank Clark looked re-inspired at times.
The Chiefs were second only to the Eagles in total sacks, so it’s interesting to see those very teams in the Super Bowl at this stage. Cullen’s hire was a much-needed spark of instruction and motivation in the locker room and the Chiefs defense has been improved ever since he arrived in town.
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