Will the Kansas City Chiefs lose defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo to the Las Vegas Raiders?
The Las Vegas Raiders appear to be narrowing in on their next head coach, and Kansas City Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo is right in the thick of it according to veteran NFL insider Josina Anderson.
“Developing,” Anderson began on the evening of January 23. “Former [Seattle] Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll is growing more interest from the Raiders brass for their head coach vacancy, per league sources. Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo candidacy has also drawn interest from Las Vegas, as well. Two league sources, currently* believe Carroll is in the lead–but again this is still all up to the Raiders.”
“We’ll see what the Raiders decide to do as they work through their process, and IF* they’re ready to land on a selection,” she continued. “I’m just sharing the buzz I’m currently hearing.”
Finally, Anderson added a “side note” that “Carroll’s name was purposefully mentioned as a nugget on my timeline [on January 22], as I’m aware he’s been actively sharing his desires to high-level staff members of certain clubs—which is now out.”
In other words, it’s quite possible that Spagnuolo is considered to be a finalist for the Raiders’ head coach position. To be clear, Anderson never used that word, but it certainly seems like the Chiefs DC has made it to the final round of the process — even if Carroll is the current favorite.
Per Anderson’s final note, it also appears that Carroll is asking around about potential staff hires, should he get the job. There’s no word on if Spagnuolo is doing the same, but that should be considered highly unlikely as he’s currently prepping for the AFC Championship game.
Chiefs’ Steve Spagnuolo & Pete Carroll Have Similar Coaching Background
If Anderson is correct, and Carroll and Spagnuolo are two of the finalists for the Raiders job, it would make sense considering they’re similar candidates.
It goes without saying that Carroll’s track record as an NFL head coach is much better than Spagnuolo’s, but they’ve each held the title before. They’re also both older candidates that come from a defensive background, and they’ve each won the Super Bowl.
Of course, Carroll did so as a head coach, while Spagnuolo has only hoisted the Lombardi Trophy as a defensive coordinator.
Either way, you might say the Raiders have decided on the type of head coach they’d like to hire. Someone with a wealth of experience that comes from a championship culture, and someone that can figure out how to stop the three franchise quarterbacks of the AFC West — Patrick Mahomes, Justin Herbert and Bo Nix.
Although, this would be a major deviation from their pursuit of former Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson.
Steve Spagnuolo to Raiders Is a Chiefs Fan’s Worst Nightmare
On many levels, Spagnuolo to the Raiders would be the worst-case scenario for the Chiefs. It’s possible Spagnuolo fails in Las Vegas, don’t get me wrong, but no KC fan wants to see the long-time DC in Silver and Black.
That’s on a personal level. From an Xs and Os standpoint, Spagnuolo also has a ton of experience matching up against Chiefs head coach Andy Reid and Mahomes in practice.
Mahomes has often raved about Spagnuolo and how difficult it is going up against him on a daily basis throughout training camp and the regular season. Imagine that, but for real — and with the full strain and effort of star defenders like Maxx Crosby and Christian Wilkins.
Lastly — and this is the most obvious negative of the Raiders hiring Spagnuolo — Kansas City would lose their defensive coordinator. It took several years, but Spagnuolo has really transformed this Chiefs defense into the strength of the organization.
Over time, his system has become a way of life in KC and without him, there’s no emulating his ability as a game planner, precise feel for the blitz, or the way he connects with his players.
Even if the Chiefs promote from within and attempt to carry over some of Spagnuolo’s tactics, they’d be losing their conductor, and that’s a much more crucial departure than people realize.
With Tom Brady helping to lead the search in Las Vegas, there’s little doubt that his personal experiences against Spagnuolo — as well as the points above — factored into the Raiders’ strong interest. At this point, Chiefs fans can only hope that Carroll or a mystery finalist lands the job.
