Former Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Matt Nagy bet on himself when the offseason began. After working under Andy Reid since 2023, Nagy set out to find a larger opportunity. That chance appeared to take shape when he was an early candidate for the Tennessee Titans head coaching job, but his outlook quickly went south when the Titans decided to hire Robert Saleh instead.
Over a week had passed since that decision, and while Nagy interviewed for the Philadelphia Eagles’ OC job, he was passed over again in favor of Sean Mannion. This left Nagy potentially settling for a lesser role in the 2026 season. However, things changed on Tuesday when he agreed to become the New York Giants' next offensive coordinator, joining Jim Harbaugh's staff in the Meadowlands, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
The move appears to be a good landing spot for Nagy, who will work under Harbaugh. But outside of working for another former Super Bowl winner, Nagy inherits a tougher job in New York that could lead to a grim future after leaving Kansas City.
Former Chiefs OC Matt Nagy Could Flop Again with Giants
Nagy’s struggles with the Chiefs have been well-documented since his return to the team a few years ago. In three seasons as the OC, Kansas City ranked in the top 10 in total offense once (9th in 2023) and never ranked higher than 15th in points scored. The overall numbers also dipped when compared to Eric Bieniemy’s tenure as offensive coordinator, but major personnel changes also played a role in that change in fortune on offense.
Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce were still the linchpins of the Kansas City offense. While Nagy didn’t have the services of Tyreek Hill like Bieniemy did, he still had more than enough talent at his disposal with the likes of Rashee Rice, Xavier Worthy, and Marquise “Hollywood” Brown on the outside. Even role players like Tyquan Thornton had a high ceiling while Isiah Pacheco and the running game regressed.
If Nagy couldn’t figure it out with that cast, he’s going to be in for a rude awakening with the Giants. New York has a potential franchise quarterback in Jaxson Dart, but outside of top receiver Malik Nabers and running back Cam Skattebo, there’s not a ton to work with. Fellow starter Wan’Dale Robinson is likely to hit the open market this spring, and Darius Slayton is better served as a depth piece, rather than the starting role he’s held with the Giants the past seven seasons.
While the Giants’ offensive line ranked ninth in Pro Football Focus’s final offensive grades, New York was right ahead of Kansas City, which finished 10th.
Nagy could argue that he wound up winning the bet on himself, finding a high-profile job with play-calling duties, but it also could take him back to his time as head coach of the Chicago Bears. In four seasons as the primary playcaller in Chicago, Nagy had the Bears rank in the top 10 in scoring once (9th in 2018) and never ranked higher than 21st in total offense.
If you squint hard enough, you can see the similarities. The Bears had Mitchell Trubisky as their developmental quarterback. David Montgomery anchored the ground game, but the receivers were underwhelming with Darnell Mooney, an aging Allen Robinson, and Cole Kmet as the top targets. All of this led to Nagy failing in Chicago and could set him up to do the same in New York.
After watching Nagy torpedo the upside of Kansas City’s offense the past three seasons, it will be interesting to see what he does in a worse situation. But the likelihood is that it won’t look much better and could keep Nagy from getting the head coaching job he desires.