KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The search for a new general manager for the Kansas City Chiefs launched immediately following the announcement the club and John Dorsey parted ways, and team CEO Clark Hunt faces a quick turnaround to put a new general manager in place before the start of training camp next month.
Aug. 6, 2016; St. Joseph, MO; Kansas City Chiefs chairman and CEO Clark Hunt visited the team’s training camp practice on Saturday. (Credit: Photo used with permission by Chiefs PR, KCChiefs.com)
Hunt laid out a broad view of the team’s search plans in a letter to season ticket holders emailed following Dorsey’s departure.
“In the coming weeks, I will conduct a search for the next general manager which will include both internal and external candidates,” Hunt said in the letter. :I believe that we have a strong foundation in place, and we will continue to work tirelessly to build on the success we’ve sustained over the last four seasons”
Mere weeks is all the Chiefs have to find Dorsey’s replacement if looking outside the organization.
NFL team training camps start as early as July 19. If the team hires an executive currently affiliated with another NFL team, the new GM must be in place before their current team reports to camp.
According to the NFL’s anti-tampering policy, teams cannot have contact with non-players regarding employment between the start of the team’s season and the end of their season. NFL policy stipulates the season begins with the opening of training camp.
The team can request permission to speak with personnel from other clubs until the start of their training camps. The cutoff date depends on the start of training camp for the team the executive works for — not the beginning of training camp for the Chiefs.
If the Chiefs choose a general manager from their current pool of employees, the deadline does not apply. The team can promote their own employees at any time.
The other NFL calendar obstacle Hunt faces rests with the league’s offseason. The time between the end of offseason workouts last week and the beginning of training camp mark one of the only down times in the league’s calendar. Most NFL executives scatter during late June and July for their only respite during the year. Contacting teams for permission to contact potential candidates may pose a challenge during the search.
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Matt Derrick is the lead beat writer for ChiefsDigest.com. Use the contact page to reach him or find him on Twitter: @MattDerrick.
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