Sutton relieved of Defensive Coordinator duties

The Kansas City Chiefs have announced this afternoon in a statement on their website and social media that Bob Sutton has been relieved of his duties as Defensive Coordinator, a position he had held since 2013.

Here is the statement from Head Coach Andy Reid:

“Bob is a good football coach and a great person. He played an integral role in the success of our team over the last six seasons. I’ve said before that change can be a good thing, for both parties, and I believe that is the case here for the Chiefs and Bob. This was not an easy decision, but one I feel is in the best interest of the Kansas City Chiefs moving forward.”

The Chiefs gave up a total of 524 yards to New England in their season-ending 37–31 loss at Arrowhead in the AFC championship game.

The Chiefs were among the worst defenses in the NFL for the season, allowing an average of 405.5 total yards per game (second worst in the league) and 26.3 points per game, the ninth-most in the league and the most of any playoff team. Kansas City finished the season second from the bottom of the league in passing yards allowed with 273.4 yards per game–31st in the NFL.

ESPN is reporting that former Jets and Bills head coach and current ESPN analyst Rex Ryan could be considered for the now vacant defensive coordinator opening on Reid’s staff in Kansas City.