Steve Spagnuolo signed a contract extension with the Kansas City Chiefs this week after the team’s historic win in Super Bowl LVIII.
The veteran defensive coordinator has turned into a Chiefs legend since joining the team in 2019, and has earned his stripes as one of the NFL’s top assistant coaches.
After finding success with his unit in 2023, Spagnuolo told Pat McAfee this week that he wants to try something new: Get quarterback Patrick Mahomes to play on his defense.
"Patrick Mahomes is a team guy and he's all about winning..
I'm trying to get him to play defense too but I don't think Coach Reid is gonna go for it" 😂
Steve Spagnuolo #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/zHPRumB6rk
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) February 15, 2024
“Patrick is a team guy,” Spagnuolo explained. “He’s all about winning, he’s all about team. When you’re on the other side of the ball that makes you feel tremendously good… You watch Patrick Mahomes operate day to day, he walks by my office every day on the way to the quarterback meeting room, or whether he’s on the field, it’s always about making all the other guys better.”
When McAfee asked if Mahomes’ experience growing up around professional locker rooms with his father might help him be a great teammate, Spagnuolo made his pitch.
“I’ll tell you, what I’ve been trying, I’ve been trying to see if he can be the first two-way player,” Spagnuolo said with a smirk. “We can get him out there to play safety, get him out there to play corner… I don’t think coach Reid is going to go for it, but how about that, right?”
It remains to be seen if Reid will take Spagnuolo seriously in this regard, but one thing is certain; the coordinator and quarterback are prepared to do everything necessary to secure Kansas City a three-peat, even if it means Mahomes takes on an ironman role.
