The Kansas City Chiefs missed out on the playoffs, and there are expected to be some changes both on the roster and on the coaching staff. The latter has more to do with offensive coordinator Matt Nagy, who is a head coaching candidate in this year's cycle, and the fact that his contract expired. The expectation is that Nagy could be gone for the 2026 season, with the most logical landing spot for him being the Tennessee Titans as their head coach. Let's not forget the working relationship he has with Mike Borgonzi, the current Titans general manager.
One name who made sense as a Nagy replacement was Kliff Kingsbury, who earlier on Tuesday was fired as offensive coordinator for the Washington Commanders. Kingsbury made sense, considering Kingsbury was quarterback Patrick Mahomes' former head coach at Texas Tech. But now, those fans dreaming of the team hiring Kingsbury were dealt some bad news.
The Athletic senior NFL insider Dianna Russini reported that "many believe" that the Baltimore Ravens would be "an ideal landing spot" for Kingsbury. This comes after the Ravens fired head coach John Harbaugh. That does put a wrench in Kansas City's plans if they had any thought of pursuing Kingsbury.
Amid recent leaguewide buzz about Kliff Kingsbury’s future, many believe Baltimore, paired with Lamar Jackson, would be an ideal landing spot for the now former Commanders offensive coordinator.
— Dianna Russini (@DMRussini) January 6, 2026
That will be a name to watch.
Chiefs' dream OC candidate Kliff Kingsbury linked to Ravens
The Ravens shockingly fired Harbaugh on Tuesday evening, and are expected to be one of the top destinations for head coaching candidates. It makes sense given the amount of talent across the roster, especially quarterback Lamar Jackson, who Russini mentions in her tweet above.
Benjamin Allbright of KOA Colorado also mentioned Kingsbury as a candidate for the Ravens' head coaching search, saying he "wouldn't be surprised if the Ravens didn't quickly interview" the former offensive coordinator.
Harbaugh being officially available changes the dynamics for some of these coaching searches
— Benjamin Allbright (@AllbrightNFL) January 6, 2026
I would also be surprised if the ravens didn’t quickly interview Kingsbury.
The Ravens aren't the only team linked to Kingsbury. NFL insider Jordan Schultz reports that Kingsbury is expected to receive interviews with the New York Giants and Tennessee Titans for their head coach openings.
If Kingsbury is off the board and Nagy leaves Kansas City, where could the Chiefs turn. One name that makes sense is Mike Kafka, who spent the tail end of this season as the Giants' interim head coach. Kafka is expected to interview for the full-time position, but should be considered a long shot. Let's not forget that Kafka worked under Andy Reid after his playing career, serving as an offensive quality control coach in 2017, quarterbacks coach in 2018 until 2021, and offensive coordinator from 2020 until 2021.
It will be interesting to see where the Chiefs turn to become their next offensive coordinator if Nagy leaves. Based on recent reporting, it's looking difficult to envision Kingsbury being a legitimate option.