The Kansas City Chiefs may not want to think about anything else than the playoffs, but teams like the Las Vegas Raiders are giving Andy Reid and company reasons to be concerned about 2025. Even with Tom Brady reportedly reaching out to Bill Belichick after Antonio Pierce’s firing, the Raiders are setting their sights on a key contributor to the Chiefs’ Super Bowl success.
According to Mike Garafolo and Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, the Raiders have submitted a request to interview Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo for their head coaching opening.
Earlier on Wednesday, Tom Pelissero reported that Las Vegas is one of multiple teams who approached Belichick to know whether he’d change his mind about coaching in college football for another chance in the NFL.
Raiders eye Chiefs DC Steve Spagnuolo while Brady reportedly talks to Belichick
The report claims that Brady, as a minority owner of the Raiders, spoke with his former coach on the New England Patriots to see how to make their reunion happen. Las Vegas, meanwhile, is keeping its options wide open by chasing Spagnuolo.
Defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo of the Kansas City Chiefs looks on prior to playing the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LVII at State Farm Stadium on February 12, 2023 in Glendale, Arizona.
The 65-year-old has served as the Chiefs’ defensive coordinator since 2019 and has played an instrumental role alongside Reid since then. With Spagnuolo at the helm of the defense, Kansas City has celebrated three Super Bowl wins in five years.
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That made him an attractive name in the NFL in the last few years, but he stuck by Reid’s side. Spagnuolo had an experience as head coach at the helm of the St. Louis Rams from 2009 to 2011, before a brief stint as the New York Giants’ interim head coach in 2017.
Spagnuolo has another offer to leave Reid, Chiefs
Spagnuolo is once again drawing interest in the 2025 NFL coaching cycle, with the New York Jets also requesting to interview the Chiefs DC on Wednesday. Not long ago, he admitted being interested in working as a head coach again.
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“I mean, I’ll deal with that later,” Spagnuolo said before the Chiefs’ Week 18 game against the Denver Broncos. “Listen, yeah, the answer is yes but right now, it’s all about Denver. I hadn’t even thought about that road until you just mentioned it. I’ll let all of that take care of itself.”
Whether Spagnuolo will finally leave Reid and the Chiefs in the offseason remains to be seen, just like if Brady’s call to Belichick has any effect. In the meantime, the Raiders look ambitious, to say the least, in their search for a new head coach.
