Kansas City Chiefs DL coach Joe Cullen gets another defensive coordinator interview — and it's likelier to result in a hire
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Kansas City Chiefs D-Line Coach Joe Cullen is a popular defensive coordinator candidate this offseason.
First, he interviewed with the Washington Commanders for their defensive coordinator vacancy under HC Dan Quinn. He has now received a request from a team he is very familiar with. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Chiefs D-Line coach Joe Cullen has received an interview for the Baltimore Ravens defensive coordinator vacancy under new head coach Jesse Minter.
Cullen, of course, was the defensive line coach with the Baltimore Ravens under John Harbaugh from 2016 through the 2020 NFL season. Minter served on that same staff as a defensive assistant, assistant defensive backs coach, and defensive backs coach from 2017 through 2020.
Should Cullen get this job, it’d mark his second stint as a defensive coordinator in the NFL. He previously served as the Jacksonville Jaguars‘ defensive coordinator for the 2021 NFL season before joining Steve Spagnuolo’s coaching staff as D-Line coach in 2022.
Where could the Chiefs turn at defensive line coach if Joe Cullen joins the Ravens’ staff?
This interview appears to be more of a formality than anything else. If Cullen wants this job, I’d wager that Minter will hire him. Their relationship and ties to the Ravens organization just make far too much sense. I would expect this deal to get done.
There’s certainly potential for an outside hire, but the good news is that Kansas City could simply restructure Steve Spagnuolo’s defensive coaching staff. Brendan Daly served as the Chiefs’ D-Line coach from 2019 through 2021. He could slide back into that role from his current role as linebackers coach, and they could potentially bring back Terry Bradden Jr. as an assistant defensive line coach as well.
Senior defensive assistant Matt House could slide back into a linebacker coaching role. Defensive quality control coach Chris Orr could also be in line to become the Chiefs’ linebackers coach should a restructuring happen. He’s currently heading to Mobile, Alabama, to coach the linebackers for the American Team in the 2026 Panini Senior Bowl.
This story was originally published by A to Z Sports on Jan 23, 2026, where it first appeared in the NFL section. Add A to Z Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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