As the game of musical chairs continues for Matt Nagy this offseason, the lack of any tangible opportunity has brought a new possibility into the realm of discussion: a potential return to the Kansas City Chiefs.
It's not that far-fetched when first considered. If Nagy is floating in the ether somewhere, untethered to any team, the very franchise that brought him in for two separate stints feels like a safe bet to give him a place to land.
Alas, that doesn't seem to be the way forward. In fact, the Chiefs essentially closed the door on any such reunion with an official goodbye on Friday.
Forever a Super Bowl champ. Thanks for everything, Coach Nagy! pic.twitter.com/GvrpS7WBCs
— Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) January 23, 2026
The celebration of Nagy's tenure with the team also feels like closure to the relationship, at least professionally. Nagy will, of course, remain friends with those who worked alongside him for years inside the Chiefs' organization. Still, it would be silly for the team to offer up some sort of ceremonial "thanks for everything" only to invite him back in the following days or weeks.
The Chiefs' latest overture toward Matt Nagy cements the idea that he's not coming back to the team in any capacity in 2026.
It's also possible that Nagy wants it this way. His contract was up, and it's entirely possible that the team's former offensive coordinator was looking for a fresh start somewhere. If a head coaching opportunity was not going to materialize after three years in the post alongside Andy Reid, then perhaps it was imperative to try to build some credibility elsewhere where his level of responsibility is both greater and clearer.
At the present time, Nagy has been connected to four head coach openings and two of them are already filled. The Baltimore Ravens called on Nagy but decided to replace John Harbaugh with Jesse Minter. The Tennessee Titans, for which Nagy was the perceived frontrunner, went with Robert Saleh instead. That leaves the Las Vegas Raiders and Arizona Cardinals as the two unfilled positions that would represent a promotion for Nagy.
From there, the Philadelphia Eagles have called Nagy for an offensive coordinator conversation, which would represent a lateral move, but that's might be the best-case scenario for the veteran coach at this point. If he can catch on with a trending offense in 2025, he'll have the Super Bowl aura from his years the Chiefs, the previous head coaching experience with the Chicago Bears, and some "hot streak" working on his behalf.
For now, the Chiefs looked like they've removed any sort of safety net, which means Nagy is officially going to find a new home in 2026. That was always the likely scenario, but any doubts have now been alleviated.