Following the Kansas City Chiefs‘ playoff elimination, offseason changes are almost inevitable. Not just because of a down season, but because some key pieces may not be around much longer. One of those pieces is Steve Spagnuolo. The longtime Chiefs defensive coordinator is once again drawing interest as a potential head-coach candidate, which could force Kansas City into reshuffling its defensive staff.

And that’s where Patrick Mahomes‘ ex-teammate, Tyrann Mathieu, unexpectedly entered the conversation. This week, Mathieu reposted an X post referencing John Harbaugh’s unconventional rise from defensive backs coach to head coach without prior coordinator experience. Mathieu added a simple but telling caption: “Someone give me a chance!” It wasn’t random. It was a signal.

Stick with us because the timing matters. Just last week, Ian Rapoport reported that the New York Giants and the Tennessee Titans are both interested in Spagnuolo as a head-coaching option. If Spags does pursue that path in 2026, Kansas City would need a new defensive coordinator. And the most logical internal candidate is Dave Merritt.

Merritt has been coaching defensive backs for decades and has worked under Spagnuolo for seven seasons. In many ways, he’s overdue for a coordinator role. If that promotion were to happen, it would naturally open a door at the position level, and that’s where Mathieu’s name starts to make sense. The former All-Pro spent 12 seasons in the NFL, including three in Kansas City, where he won a Super Bowl.

More importantly, he’s openly expressed interest in coaching. None of this is set in stone. It hinges on Spagnuolo’s future, Merritt’s promotion, and whether the Chiefs would consider a former player stepping into a coaching role so quickly. For now, it’s all theoretical. But two things are clear: Mathieu wants to coach, and he’s paying close attention to how opportunities open, especially in Kansas City.

Tyrann Mathieu endorsed Steve Spagnuolo and Dave Merritt for bigger coaching roles

Tyran Mathieu has always held Spags and Merritt in high regard, and made it more evident in his recent podcast appearance.

“It just continues to kind of blow my mind,” Mathieu emphasized during an episode of In The Bayou. “And in the same respect, guys like Dave Merritt, right? He’s been a DB coach for 20 years. And I’m saying, when are they going to let him get his own one? Like, when are they going to let him get his own unit? Because I think both of those guys, I mean, they exceed way beyond their current roles. I think they could be head coaches and defensive coordinators.”

A couple of years ago, when asked about pursuing a defensive coordinator role, Dave Merritt made it clear that family mattered just as much as football. He was committed to seeing his children through school, with two of them attending Blue Valley High School, a timeline that still overlaps with the current season. But fast-forward to now, and the context has shifted. If the right opportunity presents itself, Merritt may finally be ready to take that next step.

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“When that time arrives, if I’m afforded a position to be able to even go interview, I will consult with my wife, and then we will take the next step. But for right now, I’m focused on trying to be sure that I can be the best defensive coach I can be for my guys,” Dave Merritt said.

That perspective helps explain why Mathieu’s recent comments about wanting to coach in the NFL carry more weight. He clearly believes Spagnuolo and Merritt deserve promotions. And if that domino effect actually plays out, it could open the door for Mathieu himself to enter the picture as a defensive backs coach with KC. For now, nothing is finalized. But one thing is certain: significant coaching movement in Kansas City this offseason isn’t speculation- it’s what is expected.