Andy Reid announces Chiefs’ new quarterbacks coach

Speaking to reporters at the NFL Scouting Combine on Tuesday, Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid said that the team’s passing game analyst and assistant quarterbacks coach David Girardi — whom Reid called “a natural fit” for the job — will become the team’s quarterbacks coach.

Girardi has been the assistant for the last two seasons after spending three years as an offensive quality control coach in Kansas City.

He began his career as a quarterback for Geneva College in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania, where he was a two-time National Christian College Athletic Association All-American. After that, he had coaching stints at Seton Hill (where he earned an MBA), Geneva and Northwestern — and finally, at Lafayette College in Easton, Pennsylvania, where he was the quarterbacks coach.

Girardi is replacing Matt Nagy, who was named the team’s offensive coordinator on Friday.

We don’t always learn the identities of those Reid has interviewed for coaching positions — but this time, we did. Reid specifically said that Bosie State offensive coordinator Bush Hamdan (who was the Atlanta Falcons quarterbacks coach in 2017) was among those he interviewed for that position.

Although he didn’t specify the positions for which they had interviewed, Reid said that he had also met with two coaches who had experience as both quarterback coaches and offensive coordinators: Pep Hamilton and Marcus Brady. Hamilton most recently served as the Houston Texans’ offensive coordinator, while Brady spent the 2022 season as an offensive consultant with the Philadelphia Eagles after five years with the Indianapolis Colts, where he finished as the team’s offensive coordinator.

Reid said his interviews with Hamilton, Brady and Nagy were all “phenomenal.”

“Just talking football with all of them was incredible,” he told reporters. “I got to do this for a good week. I enjoyed every minute of it. It just tells me that the league is in good hands. We’ve got some good coaches out there.”

It’s clear that Reid would consider former Kansas City offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy as one of those coaches. After 10 years with the Chiefs — and several years interviewing unsuccessfully for head coaching positions — he was named to the same position for the Washington Commanders on February 17.

“I’m so happy for EB to have a chance to put his name on an offense,” said Reid. “[That offense] is his now. He’s working for Ron Rivera, who is a dear friend — and more of a defensive head coach than an offensive head coach — so this allows EB to do his thing.

“I’m happy for him. I’m wishing him luck with that. I’m also wishing him luck going forward. Obviously, we were trying to get him [a chance] to become a head coach; it didn’t work out that way. But it’s not over yet. I think he’s going to a heck of a job — and be able to show his personality within the offense.”

Reid also joked that since Bieniemy is now working in the nation’s capital, he might set his sights even higher.

“He could end up being President,” said Reid, smiling.