Kurt Warner On Chiefs Coach Todd Haley Calling Plays

Every day we hear plenty of stories about incoming and outgoing offensive coordinators around the league but we don't hear much news about the Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator position. The options for Todd Haley are to assign himself offensive coordinator or hire (or promote) someone else. 

The thinking is that Haley will hire an offensive coordinator since we've heard him talk more than a few times about the difficulties of assuming both roles in the 2009 season. And so if he does hire an offensive coordinator, there's the question of who will be the play caller.

One of Haley's former players, Kurt Warner, joined Steven St. John and Nate Bukaty on 810 WHB's Border Patrol this morning and said he doesn't think Haley wants to be calling the plays.

"I'm sure he could handle it better now as he has a better feel and as he has better coaches around him to do a lot of the leg work [but] I'm not sure Todd wants to do that," Warner said. "I know he wants to have a hand in what they do offensively because that's his background and he feels very strongly about what he brings to the table. 

"But I'm not sure he wants to be the guy calling plays. I think he would if he felt that was the best thing for the team. But you know it is a lot of responsibility to try to be a head coach, stay in the game and focus on all the things all week long and even in the midst of the game, it's tough to be able to do that and call plays at the same time."

The answer to Haley the play caller will come from what type of offensive coordinator he wants. Kent Babb of the KC Star suggested this week he wants a "soft coordinator" who would do the day-to-day while Haley took control of the big decisions, which could include calling plays.

I think what Warner says -- that Haley doesn't want to call plays -- is what would happen in an ideal world (like having Charlie Weis). But I can't think of anyone out there to whom Haley would give control of play calling. Hopefully we'll be getting an indication soon of which way he's leaning.