With Matt Nagy widely expected to leave for a head coaching opportunity, Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid is evaluating his options at offensive coordinator.
Among the names quietly circulating is Kliff Kingsbury, a familiar figure to Patrick Mahomes and the coach who helped shape his game long before Kansas City ever drafted him.
The idea of Kingsbury joining the Chiefs staff has generated mixed reactions, even among those closest to the team. On a recent episode of the Locked On Chiefs podcast, analyst Matt Derrick laid out why the connection, while real, may not be enough to convince Reid.
“I think the only connection there is that you would say, hey, this is a guy that Patrick Mahomes has worked with and is a fan of, so maybe it would work there,” Derrick said. “Honestly, even though Kliff Kingsbury and Andy Reid haven’t worked together, Kingsbury isn’t exactly outside the Venn diagram of Andy Reid either-they have a lot of overlap.”
That overlap exists more in philosophy than in relationship. Reid has built his career by surrounding himself with assistants he knows well, coaches he has worked with directly or trusted for years.
Kingsbury does not fit neatly into that mold, which immediately complicates the conversation.
Kingsbury is newly available after Washington and the coach mutually agreed to move on following a difficult, injury-filled season.
The offense never found consistency, finishing near the bottom of the league in scoring and yardage. Extended absences from Jayden Daniels forced constant reshuffling, and the unit struggled to establish any rhythm.
Why the Mahomes-Kingsbury connection refuses to fade
What keeps Kingsbury relevant in this discussion is not recent production, but history. He was the first coach to offer Mahomes a scholarship, bringing him to Texas Tech in 2014 and giving him freedom that few coaches would have allowed.
Their partnership from 2014 to 2016 helped unlock the creativity that later defined Mahomes’ NFL career.
Coincidentally, that relationship began the same year Reid was hired in Kansas City, creating an unexpected full-circle thread.
Mahomes has never hidden how much that early trust mattered to him.
“Coach Kingsbury never, ever forced me to be just a pocket passer, or hold the ball a certain way. He just let me be me,” Mahomes recalled.
That approach allowed Mahomes to develop instincts rather than mechanics-first habits, a foundation that carried over seamlessly into Reid’s offense.
In a season where Kansas City struggled with timing, spacing, and accuracy, the idea of adding a coach who understands Mahomes at a fundamental level is appealing.
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