One of the biggest stories of the Kansas City Chiefs' 2026 offseason is whether or not offensive coordinator Matt Nagy will return next season. With Nagy drawing head coaching attention, fans are ready for a potential exit that could help breathe life into an offense that has grown increasingly stale. While head coach Andy Reid deserves some blame for how poorly the 20254 campaign went, Nagy played an undeniable role, too, highlighting how both sides could use a fresh start.
With this in mind, the Chiefs' OC search hasn't been that promising so far. Despite not officially firing offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo, the Philadelphia Eagles are already consistently being linked to high-profile candidates. Even long-eliminated teams like the Detroit Lions are scheduling interviews and searching for a potential answer.
For the Chiefs, it seems that there is a continued sense of contentment with the franchise sitting back and waiting to see how things might play out with Nagy. Unfortunately, the lack of urgency could come back to bite Kansas City, setting fans up for a concern-filled offseason.
Chiefs' OC Search Has Been Disappointing, Concerning So Far
Reid calls the plays for the Kansas City offense, offering far less control to a potential OC hire and making the Chiefs a potentially less attractive landing spot compared to other potential contenders. That could leave the team stuck with options who are even worse than Nagy if he leaves town.
Yes, Nagy's time with the Chiefs hasn't gone smoothly, but there's always the potential that things could get worse. What happens if the next OC is another yes-man who wastes the talent of the likes of Patrick Mahomes, Rashee Rice, and Xavier Worthy? That could be the path that Kansas City is on if it opts to continue Reid's status quo while bringing in a safe/familiar coordinator.
The Chiefs have won three Super Bowls with Reid and Mahomes, meaning they should have a far higher sense of desperation to improve the coaching staff. They need someone who won't be afraid to give Reid his input, especially if the offense has stalled. Otherwise, the same offensive concerns that Kansas City dealt with in 2025 could and will re-emerge.
As much of a legend as Reid is, it is fair to question his decision-making — especially after a failed season. The Chiefs could badly use new leadership, and that can happen if the iconic head coach is willing to consolidate some of his power to a fresh OC who'll bring new ideas to the table.
In other words, it's easy to see why it's a concern that leadership isn't taking last year's losing to heart as they should be. Chiefs fans can only hope that the lack of urgency to find a new OC isn't a sign of things to come in the pivotal offseason ahead.
If that's the case, it's going to be a long next eight-ish months before the 2026 campaign begins.