INDIANAPOLIS – The Chiefs are set to enter the 2016 regular season with an uncommon arrangement when considering Brad Childress and Matt Nagy will split duties as co-offensive coordinators.
Feb. 24, 2016; Indianapolis; Philadelphia Eagles coach Doug Pederson speaks during a press conference at the NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
The move, which was announced in January, came after former offensive coordinator Doug Pederson accepted the job as head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles.
While an NFL team with co-coordinators may seem odd, Pederson believes it can be accomplished given the continuity and leadership under coach Andy Reid.
“Everything does start with Coach Reid,” Pederson said Wednesday at the NFL Scouting Combine. “And again, Brad Childress and Coach Reid, they have a long history together.
“And now, bringing Matt along and furthering his career and getting his feet wet in a coordinator’s role, that’s been Coach Reid’s philosophy is to continue to train young coaches so they can go on and have successful coaching careers and Matt’s in that situation right now. It just shows the confidence that Coach Reid has in Coach Nagy to put him in that role.”
Nagy becomes a coordinator for the first time in his career following his promotion as the Chiefs quarterbacks coach, a role he will keep.
But having Childress, who has ties with Reid going back to 1999 with the Eagles in roles as a quarterbacks coach (1999-2001) and offensive coordinator (2002-05), will offer balance. Childress reunited with Reid in 2013 and served as the Chiefs spread game analyst/special projects coach before assuming his current role.
“You’ve got the experienced guy with the young guy,” Pederson said. “One thing with Matt, you’re going to keep the continuity together in the quarterback room, plus it (helps) the development of him and his career.”
Reid, who will continue to call plays, said on Jan. 21 that Childress will be in the press box and Nagy will be on the sideline.
And with Pederson gone, Nagy assumes the responsibility of being in quarterback Alex Smith’s ear with the headset.
“It will be something that Alex will have to get used to, you know, with a different voice in his head,” Pederson said. “That will come. You start in OTAs (organized team activities) with the radio and you go from there.”
PEDERSON BELIEVES DANIEL CAN BE STARTING QB
Chase Daniel, the Chiefs backup quarterback the past three seasons, is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent on March 9.
While Daniel has primarily been a backup during his eight-year career, serving behind Drew Brees in New Orleans and Alex Smith in Kansas City, Eagles coach Doug Pederson thinks Daniel can be a starter in the NFL.
“I think Chase, given an opportunity, yes I think he can be,” Pederson said. “Obviously the people who worked with him for the last three years know that he has an opportunity there and hopefully he gets his chance.”
Pederson points to how Daniel interacted with Smith and how much preparation Daniel undertook in the week leading to a game.
“The way he’s kind of coached Alex behind the scenes, the way he prepares during the week, the way he studies, the way he puts himself in the starter’s mentality on Sunday,” Pederson said. “In the couple games he did start there in Kansas City, to me, has proven he can take over a team.”
In the two starts, which came in the Chiefs’ season finales of 2013 and 2014 against the San Diego Chargers, Daniel completed 37 of 57 passes for 346 yards and a touchdown.
He added 10 rushes for 75 yards while posting a 1-1 record.
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Herbie Teope is the lead Chiefs beat writer for ChiefsDigest.com and The Topeka Capital-Journal. Use the contact page to reach him or find him on Twitter: @HerbieTeope.
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