Andy Reid Announces Surprise Chiefs Coaching News at Combine
As the football world focuses on this week's NFL Combine, Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid dropped a bombshell regarding one of his coach staff members.
Reid told reporters on Tuesday that outside linebackers coach Ken Flajole "has retired from the defensive coaching staff," per Chiefs insider Matt Derrick. The 69-year-old has served on the Kansas City coach staff since the beginning of the 2021 NFL season.
Andy Reid tells us that Ken Flayjole has retired from the defensive coaching staff. His title has been outside linebackers coach but he’s also been a strong right hand man for Steve Spagnuolo.
— Matt Derrick (@mattderrick) February 27, 2024
Chiefs News: Trusted Defensive Coach Ken Flajole Retires
Losing an integral part of the coaching staff is never fun, especially when it's someone as beloved as Flajole. Not only did he coach the outside linebackers, but he was also a "strong right hand man" for defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo.
At the same time, it's hard not to blame Flajole for wanting to call it a career following the Super Bowl LVIII victory.
The Seattle, WA native has been coaching since he was Pacific Lutheran's defensive line/LBs coach in 1977. He spent the next 21 years exclusively coaching college programs, which included being a part of the 1988 UTEP staff that also featured both Reid and current Chiefs assistant head coach/special teams coordinator Dave Toub.
Flajole has now been in the NFL for over 25 years, enjoying stints with the likes of the Seattle Seahawks, New Orleans Saints, and Philadelphia Eagles before making his way to Kansas City three years ago. He now gets to enjoy retirement with three Super Bowl rings in his possession, having won two of the Chiefs and another with the Eagles in 2018.
Time will tell how Flajole's departure impacts Kansas City's defense in 2024 and beyond. Between the 2023 regular season and playoffs, the Chiefs' defense ranked second in points and eighth in total yards allowed.
Despite Flajole's retirement, Reid and the Chiefs still hold the second-best odds to win a third Super Bowl in a row next season, per FanDuel Sportsbook.
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