The LA Chargers had a great first season under Jim Harbaugh that resulted in 11 wins and a trip to the NFL Playoffs. Even then, the Chargers finished looking up at the Kansas City Chiefs, who beat the Bolts twice en route to clinching the No. 1 seed in the AFC.
Kansas City is looking to become the first team in NFL history to win three Super Bowls in a row while the Chargers are starting a hopeful Super Bowl window with Harbaugh as head coach. In any other division, the path to the Super Bowl would be much clearer. In the AFC West, the Chiefs' shadow is omnipresent.
Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid will continue to be successful for years to come but there are still ways in which the Chiefs' foundation could start to crumble. One such way is for Reid to lose important members of his coaching staff, especially on the defensive side of the ball as his focus is on offense.
Chargers fans are hoping this could be the offseason where that finally happens with defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo getting head coaching buzz. It's more than just buzz, as Spagnuolo is getting legitimate interview requests.
The #Jets are requesting an interview with #Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo for their head-coaching spot, source says. The two-time #Giants DC and interim HC will discuss a potential return to Jersey. pic.twitter.com/47szKdB9p6
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) January 8, 2025
The New York Jets are not the only team that has requested an interview with Spagnuolo. The Las Vegas Raiders and Jacksonville Jaguars have also requested interviews. That would keep him in the AFC West, but he at least wouldn't have the best quarterback in the league in Vegas.
Steve Spagnuolo leaving the Chiefs for a head coaching job would be great for the Chargers
The Chiefs would still be successful if Spagnuolo were to leave the team as Andy Reid probably already has an idea of who would step up and replace him. However, it would at least change the dynamic in Kansas City and that would favor the Chargers.
As great as Mahomes and Reid are as an offensive duo, the Chiefs have reached their level of success in large part due to Spagnuolo's defense. There is a lot less pressure on Mahomes and Co. to execute when they are supported by one of the best defenses in the sport.
The Chiefs have ranked in the top four in points allowed in each of the last two seasons. In 2024 the Chargers could only score 27 points on the Chiefs in two games. No team is going to dethrone Patrick Mahomes with that kind of offensive output.
There will still be talent on the defensive side of the ball in Kansas City but the entire unit could take a step back. After all, Jesse Minter has proven just how important a good defensive coordinator is to defensive success.
The Chiefs won't bring in Brandon Staley, but they may not bring in someone who can replicate Spagnuolo. And if the defense takes a step back, the Chargers will have a better chance of eventually usurping Kansas City.