On Wednesday, the Kansas City Chiefs seemingly added to the coaching staff with two hires — but one has been further confirmed by local media. Friend of the site Pete Sweeney of the Kansas City Star followed
up with confirmation on a report by Matt Zenitz of CBS Sports that a former Chiefs coach was returning to the defensive staff.
After one season with the Nebraska Cornhuskers, Terry Bradden will return to the NFL and Kansas City as an assistant defensive line coach. That was the role he occupied for the Chiefs from 2021 to 2024, following time as a defensive quality control coach.
Bradden made an impact on Chiefs’ All-Pro defensive tackle Chris Jones during his time in Kansas City. In the lead-up to a game in the 2022 regular season — the year Jones was honored as first-team All-Pro for the first time — Jones credited his position coaches for recent success. This is from an article on Chiefs.com.
The Chiefs have 35 sacks this season as a team, which ranks fifth in the NFL and already bests Kansas City’s sack total from all of last year (31). It’s collectively been one of the best pass-rushes in the league, and though the Chiefs’ personnel along the defensive line features many of the same players from last season, Jones insists that the difference this year is two guys: Defensive Line Coach Joe Cullen and Assistant Defensive Line Coach Terry Bradden.
“We have some of the best coaches in the building, and we’re just very fortunate,” Jones said. “We have a very good group. [It’s] a very young group, [and we have] a lot of hungry guys in our room…[They] want to show that they belong in this league.”
That formula has worked well so far this season, as 13 different players have recorded at least one sack on the year. Seven of those players are members of the defensive line, which only re-enforces the impact of Cullen and Bradden on this year’s group.
“I think between both of those guys, the players have responded to them,” said Defensive Coordinator Steve Spagnuolo. “I’m glad that the big guys have responded to [their style], and hopefully, we keep cranking away and playing good football.”
Following the second time Jones was named first-team All-Pro in 2023, Jones named Cullen and Bradden to give credit. He expressed his gratitude during a Wednesday press conference leading up to the 2023 NFL Divisional Round.
“Give credit to my coaches, Joe Cullen, and Terry Bradden,” Jones said to local media. “The commitment those guys force out of me, and the players in the room push me beyond measure. ”I think a leader can’t be a leader without great teammates; it takes an army to be great, and those guys push the best out of me each and every day to get the best out of me. I don’t think I can accomplish something like that of that measure without having great teammates and guys who push the best out of me day in and day out.”
In training camp leading up to the 2024 season, Jones used his leadership to emphasize how important it is to absorb Cullen and Bradden’s coaching. Pete Grathoff of the Kansas City Star pointed that out at the time.
“We out there, we shooting with technique. Cause when you get tired, the thing you rely on is what the coaches do: technique, whether it’s bad technique or good technique. Coach Joe and Terry can teach all this, but at the end of the day, it depends on us. We gotta hold each other accountable. You know what I’m saying? Enjoy today, learn from it and because tomorrow, it’s a whole new day. But hell of a day, man. I don’t want to take anything away from it, will you build off of that and keep grinding dogs.”
After one season away from the Chiefs, Bradden will come back under Spagnuolo and Cullen. The evidence suggests Chris Jones will approve of the move as well.
