Chiefs Schedule Has 4 More Hot-Seat Head Coaches

Patrick Mahomes and his foundation have helped a lot of worthy causes, but one group the quarterback has hurt is opponent head coaches. The 2025 schedule has plenty of fresh meat.

Up to four Chiefs opponents this year appear on various lists of coaches on the hot seat, the hottest of which is New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll. In an intriguing Week 3 contest on Sunday Night Football, the league scheduled Kansas City to travel to MetLife Stadium. Steve Spagnuolo could be game-planning for either Russell Wilson or rookie Jaxson Dart at quarterback.

“Wilson is currently positioned to be the Week 1 starter,” said CBS analyst Tyler Sullivan, “but Daboll's fate may rest on Dart, who impressed during the offseason program. If Dart takes over at some point during the season and shows flashes, that could be enough to save Daboll.

“However, he'll need to survive an early gauntlet to possibly get to that point. Before the Week 14 bye, seven of their first 12 opponents are all coming off playoff appearances last year.”

Before hosting the Chiefs, New York’s first two games are at Washington and Dallas. The Giants could be looking at an 0-3 start as they prepare for Mahomes and the Chiefs.

According to various hot-seat lists, other coaches in jeopardy on the Kansas City schedule include Shane Steichen (Indianapolis), Brian Callahan (Tennessee) and even Sean McDermott (Buffalo). Against Mahomes, McDermott with Josh Allen at quarterback is 4-1 in regular-season games – including four straight wins -- but 0-4 against the Chiefs in the playoffs.

On nine occasions since the Chiefs kicked off 2022, Mahomes has added to the loss columns of coaches who wound up losing their jobs before the next season. Over that period, Kansas City is 9-1 against such coaches.

Kliff Kingsbury in Arizona, Lovie Smith in Houston, Nathaniel Hackett and Jerry Rosburg in Denver, Bill Belichick in New England, Brandon Staley and Griff Smith with the L.A. Chargers, Dennis Allen in New Orleans and Antonio Pierce in Las Vegas were victims of the Chiefs just before their teams changed coaches.

The only head coach in that stretch to defeat the Chiefs in his last season with a team was Frank Reich, whose 2022 Colts topped Kansas City, 20-17. Six games later, the late Indianapolis owner Jim Irsay relieved Reich of his duties.

Since the Chiefs hired Andy Reid in 2013, the Raiders and Broncos have each hired five full-time head coaches. Jack Del Rio, Jon Gruden, Josh McDaniels, Antonio Pierce and Pete Carroll have held the reins of the Raiders, while Gary Kubiak, Vance Joseph, Vic Fangio, Hackett and Sean Payton have taken over the Denver sidelines. The Chargers, meanwhile, have hired three (Anthony Lynn, Staley and John Harbaugh).

Since Mahomes became the Chiefs’ starting quarterback in 2018, 26 of 32 NFL teams have changed head coaches at least once, all but Baltimore (John Harbaugh), Buffalo (McDermott), Kansas City (Reid), the L.A. Rams (Sean McVay), Pittsburgh (Mike Tomlin) and San Francisco (Kyle Shanahan).

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