After the wheels fell off in 2025, the Kansas City Chiefs are looking for a quick bounce back in 2026.
They have retooled a significant portion of their roster, particularly on defense. If several young players develop quickly, the Chiefs could get right back to being contenders again. However, that could come at a high cost next offseason.
Kansas City Chiefs DC Steve Spagnuolo Could Re-Establish Himself as HC Candidate in 2026
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Spagnuolo has actually been a head coaching candidate over the past couple of years, taking interviews from several teams. The most serious inquiry he had was from the Tennessee Titans, whose general manager — Mike Borgonzi — was a longtime executive with the Chiefs.
However, the Titans ultimately opted to hire Robert Saleh. Bradley Locker of Pro Football Focus recently made a list of assistants who could raise their stock in 2026 as future head coaching candidates. If Spagnuolo can once again build a championship level defense with a new cast of young players, that may get him over the hump for a HC gig.
“Although Spagnuolo’s seven-year tenure with the Chiefs has produced some subpar units, he’s guided the team to three straight top-14 finishes in success rate despite experiencing personnel change. Spagnuolo’s knack for developing hidden talent is his best weapon, as reflected in players such as Justin Reid, Jaylen Watson, Bryan Cook, Leo Chenal and many more.”
Spagnuolo’s defenses were a huge part of Kansas City’s dynasty run. In the early days, it was the offense that carried the team. However, over the last few years, it has been the defense that has been the backbone of franchise. A large portion of that can be attributed to Spagnuolo, who is widely regarded as one of the best assistant coaches of all-time.
Steve Spagnuolo Is Arguably the Greatest DC of All Time
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Spagnuolo’s calling card is his creative and aggressive nature for blitzing the quarterback. He holds the NFL record for most Super Bowl victories by a defensive coordinator with four — three with the Chiefs, and one with the New York Giants.
Spagnuolo’s defense held the legendary New England Patriots’ offense to just 14 points in Super Bowl XLII, as the Giants defeated them and ended their bid for a perfect 19-0 season. That led to him becoming the head coach of the St. Louis Rams in 2009, but he was let go in 2011 after compiling a 10-38 overall record.
After a couple of stints elsewhere, Spagnuolo returned to New York as its defensive coordinator in 2015. He was named interim head coach for the final four games of the 2017 season following the firing of Ben McAdoo, going 1-3 during that span. Andy Reid brought Spagnuolo to Kansas City in 2019, and the rest has been history.
In 2026 Spagnuolo will have new starters in every level of his defense. He will work to develop rookies such as defensive end R Mason Thomas, defensive tackle Peter Woods, and cornerback Mansoor Delane. Spagnuolo will also look to keep his run of high level safety play going with Alohi Gilman, who is following in the footsteps of Tyrann Mathieu and Justin Reid.
Chiefs Having Quick Turnaround in 2026 Could Come at High Cost