The Kansas City Chiefs fired defensive coordinator Bob Sutton on Tuesday, two days after his defense was unable to come up with a pivotal stop against Tom Brady and the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship Game.
Sutton has worked as Kansas City’s defensive coordinator since 2013, when the Chiefs brought in Andy Reid as their head coach.
Reid, in a statement released Tuesday, did not provide a specific reason for the firing beyond saying “change can be a good thing, for both parties, and I believe that this is the case here for the Chiefs and Bob.”
The Chiefs allowed 524 yards from scrimmage and 36 first downs Sunday night to the Patriots, who scored two go-ahead touchdowns in the final 3:32 of regulation before their 13-play, game-winning TD drive in overtime.
“Bob is a good football coach and a great person,” Reid said in his statement. “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.”
Sutton, 67, oversaw a Kansas City defense that tied for the NFL lead with 52 sacks this season but allowed 405.5 yards per game, the second-most in the league.
One name to watch for the now-vacant position is former Jets and Bills head coach and current ESPN analyst Rex Ryan, sources tell ESPN’s Adam Schefter.