Before the month of January ends, the Kansas City Chiefs have already made plenty of headlines. Even with them not in the playoffs, they’ve managed to capture the attention of the NFL.
On the coaching front, Andy Reid has served walking papers to multiple members of his staff. Others have left for other positions voluntarily. In the front office ranks, assistant general manager Mike Bradway was requested to interview for a GM job in the NFC.
The news doesn’t stop there as conference championship weekend arrives. This time around, defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo’s tree could be shaken up.
Ravens Request Interview With Chiefs DL Coach Joe Cullen for DC Job
Per a January 23 report from Adam Schefter of ESPN, the Baltimore Ravens put in a request to interview Chiefs defensive line coach Joe Cullen for their open coordinator gig.
“Ravens requested to interview Chiefs defensive line coach Joe Cullen — who previously spent five years coaching in Baltimore — for their defensive coordinator job,” Schefter’s tweet read.
This news comes just a couple of weeks removed from something similar happening to Cullen. On January 9, the Washington Commanders asked to speak with him regarding their defensive coordinator vacancy. Two interview inquiries in less than a month’s span is a positive development for the veteran defensive leader.
With the Ravens reuniting with former defensive coordinator Jesse Minter as head coach, there’s a real world with Zach Orr’s services not being needed. Orr is a member of other searches, leaving several options on the table. With the regular season in the books, one of them appears to be Cullen.
Cullen, 58, spent the 2016-2020 seasons with the Ravens. He served as their defensive line coach for all five years. A one-year stint as the Jacksonville Jaguars‘ defensive coordinator (2021) preceded his tenure in Kansas City.
Cullen has already returned to a familiar spot once; he was the Jaguars’ D-line coach from 2010-2012. Could he repeat that pattern if Baltimore conducts an interview and it goes well?
Is Cullen a Fit for Ravens’ Defensive Coordinator Job?
It’s clear that the current iteration of the Ravens must change. The post-John Harbaugh era could see them get back to their roots as a gritty defensive team. After all, that side of the ball allowed the fewest points in 2023 and was ninth a season ago. This year, Baltimore fell to 18th, also sitting 20th in points per drive.
A poor pass defense held the Ravens back. Only two teams were thrown on more than them during the regular season, and only a pair of defenses ceded more passing yards. That, combined with a No. 26 ranking in plays per drive, reflected a decline. According to SumerSports, Baltimore ranked 20th in EPA per play allowed (0.01).
In Cullen’s four years with the Chiefs, they’ve seen some solid defensive outputs. They had the NFL’s second-best scoring defense in 2023 — trailing only the Ravens — and were fourth and sixth in 2024 and 2025, respectively. Despite having underwhelming talent this year, Spagnuolo and company helped lead Kansas City to ranking 11th in points per drive from Weeks 1-18.
Getting elite-level production from the front was an issue, however. Cullen’s group amassed all of 35 regular-season sacks, tied for seventh-fewest. Not only that, but the Chiefs were 30th in ESPN’s run stop win rate. Being 10th in pass rush win rate only matters so much when pressures aren’t converted into sacks and running the ball is so effective.
In fairness to Cullen, he hasn’t had a ton to work with. Defensive tackle Chris Jones is no longer a top-shelf player, and defensive end George Karlaftis is more of a complementary piece. If armed with more premier talent, it’s possible that better results are delivered.
Are the 2026-27 Ravens the right situation? Only time and Cullen’s interview (should he take it) can tell.
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