Kansas City Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo should feel forced to treat this upcoming season as a contract year for his own role on the team.
The Kansas City Chiefs are far from a defensive juggernaut. All-time greats such as Buck Buchanan, Derrick Thomas, and Bobby Bell once called Kansas City home. In those days, the defense was once an integral part of the Chiefs’ identity, but that is no more. That is part of the evolving NFL.
Head coach Andy Reid is one of the game’s best offensive minds, and quarterback Patrick Mahomes is arguably the best in the league. That combination alone will compensate for a lackluster defense. That duo was crucial in Kansas City’s recent dominance with four consecutive conference championship games.
While Kansas City fields an unparalleled offensive unit, the defense has hampered the Chiefs’ championship aspirations. Once it was Bob Sutton who led the defensive unit. Now, it is Kansas City’s most important 2023 free agent: Steve Spagnuolo.
Opinions on Spagnuolo as defensive coordinator are mixed for some fans. Sure, many were happy to see Sutton gone after multiple mediocre years. The Chiefs then brought in Spagnuolo, a coordinator with a championship resume. He spent 2018 away from football, after a lackluster second tenure with the New York Giants. Spagnuolo came to Kansas City, reenergized and highly recommended by team leadership.
““Steve is a bright defensive mind with a lot of coaching experience and success in our league,” Reid said. “I know him well from our time together in Philadelphia and I feel that his leadership skills and teaching abilities, combined with his scheme, will be a great fit for our team as we move forward.””
The Chiefs were just a defense away from the Super Bowl, and Spagnuolo proved that to be true. He led an above-average defense in 2019, ranking seventh in points allowed during the regular season. Spagnuolo’s scheme, and safety Tyrann Mathieu’s performance, took the Chiefs over the hump. Kansas City won Super Bowl LIV in Spagnuolo’s debut season, the team’s first in 50 years.
The Chiefs’ investment in Spagnuolo paid off in the beginning, but the returns since have been questionable. Several aspects of the Chiefs’ defense have not met the standards of a championship-contending team since 2019.
The pass-rush is not there, despite big-money commitments to defensive end Frank Clark and defensive tackle Chris Jones. The run defense is porous, with Football Outsiders ranking them 30th overall. While the pass defense is average in interceptions and touchdowns allowed, the 2021 Chiefs ranked 27th in passing yards allowed. This defense, in 2020 and 2021, did not concern opposing offensive coordinators. For the most part, opponents were able to run their scheme with limited effect.
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