The Kansas City Chiefs Have Reshuffled Their Defensive Coaching Staff

As a defensive line coach, Brendan Daly has won three Super Bowl titles — two with Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots and most recently Super Bowl LIV with Andy Reid and the Kansas City Chiefs.

But after Matt House, the Chiefs’ linebackers coach from 2019 to 2021, accepted a job as LSU’s new defensive coordinator, Daly approached Reid about changing jobs and replacing House.

He sought a new challenge as linebackers coach.

“Brendan wanted to move on and try something new and he came to me with that. I think that’s good,” Reid said. “For these guys growing in their profession, I think it’s important.”

To fill Daly’s former role as defensive line coach, Reid chose an experienced assistant in Joe Cullen, who has served as the defensive line coach for five other NFL teams: the Detroit Lions, Jacksonville Jaguars, Cleveland Browns, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Baltimore Ravens.

Although Cullen certainly possesses an expertise of that position group, he made headlines for a Page Six-worthy story while coaching the Lions in 2006.

He was suspended for two incidents: an arrest for driving naked while going through a Wendy’s drive-through on Aug. 24 and then for drunken driving on Sept. 1.

“I faced adversity back 16 years ago,” Cullen said. “You become a better person if you learn from it and if you move on and you could possibly help someone one out that’s maybe in a tough situation. That’s what I’ve tried to do … If I can help anybody go through a tough situation, then I’m willing to do it anywhere, anyplace, any time.”

Having repaired his reputation, Cullen now will oversee the Chiefs’ defensive line — the most lucrative part of the defense.

Defensive tackle Chris Jones is the Chiefs’ highest-paid defensive player this year. Jones is slated to earn $22.4 million in 2022, and defensive end Frank Clark is slated to earn the sixth most on the team at $9.2 million.

Given the opportunity to coach that unit led by Jones and Clark, Cullen called it a “no-brainer” when offered the position on the Chiefs.

“I’m excited to be a part of it,” Cullen said. “It’s a storied, traditional program; the Hunt family; Andy Reid, Hall of Fame coach; Coach Spagnuolo, I’ve known him for 30 years.”

Daly also has a long relationship with Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo. When Spagnuolo was the St. Louis Rams’ head coach from 2009 to 2011, Daly was his defensive line coach.

While Cullen coaches the veteran and well-paid defensive line, Daly will coach the youngest position group on the Chiefs.

After Kansas City released veteran Anthony Hitchens, the linebackers are now led by third-year Willie Gay Jr., second-year Nick Bolton and rookie Leo Chenal, and each is still on his rookie contract.

Daly is excited about moving on from the defensive line, a group he’s coached for almost 15 years in the NFL.

“I was kind of interested in evolving a little bit, challenging myself in doing something that was a little bit out of my comfort zone. I think that’s how you get better. I think that’s how you grow and improve,” Daly said. “I felt like there were some things that I could add to the group and some continuity that we can maintain with that transition as opposed to having someone from the outside coming in.”

Reid compared Daly’s coaching change to that of Greg Lewis. A former Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver when Reid coached there, Lewis was the Chiefs’ wide receivers coach from 2017 to 2020 before coaching a different position on the offense — the running backs — last year and this coming year.

Reid is confident the restructuring of his defensive staff will bolster the team going forward.

“We didn’t weaken things,” he said. “We have a good strong core of coaches.”