Chiefs Coordinator Quotes
January 1, 2026
ASSISTANT HEAD COACH/SPECIAL TEAMS COORDINATOR DAVE TOUB
OPENING STATEMENT: “I’d like to congratulate Dustin Colquitt on his Missouri Sports Hall of Fame induction, that’s pretty cool.”
Q: On the kick coverage and kickoff returns.
TOUB: “I’m happy with our kick coverage. I think now we’re finally cracking the top 10 as far as our kickoff goes. We had a lot of young players, obviously, and they just keep getting better and better so I’m happy with that. Kickoff return wise, not where I wanted it to be, at this point. We’re probably in the middle of the pack towards maybe the 20s almost there, and that’s just not good enough. We have to do a better job getting some bigger returns in kick return. Punt return, we were hit and miss all year. I’m excited about Brashard’s (Smith) – obviously he had a really good game last week. Two returns, averaging 27.5, really nice to see. Young player that really hasn’t done it in an NFL game, that was his first reps that he got and (it was) pretty good, that’s where we’re at.”
Q: On Brashard Smith’s future as a returner.
TOUB: “Like I said, kick return for sure. Punt returner, he’s (Brashard Smith) still developing. We’re always looking for new guys, that’s just the way life is with me in our special teams world. He’s a guy that we’re going to have and that we’re excited about.”
Q: How important is it to make a final impact?
TOUB: “Yeah, that’s what we talked about. That’s what we’ve been talking about all week. It’s not like we’re just going to give up. We’re still trying. Obviously, we’re going to do everything we can to win this football game. This is their resume, this is their chance to show what they can do and there’s still a battle for the production leader, too. That’s something that we always talk about and there’s a lot of pride in that room and we want to win, and we want to do things that help create wins for our football team.”
DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR STEVE SPAGNUOLO
OPENING STATEMENT: “I don’t have a lot. Obviously it’s the last game and we want to find a way to win a football game and enjoy the locker room after. Our guys are working hard. I’m really proud of them in that way, at least they did yesterday and I think they’ll do the same today. So, I’ll just open it up.”
Q: How do you think you looked at cornerback without Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson?
SPAGNUOLO: “That’s a good football team; that’s a good offense. I was proud of the way Nohl (Williams) and Kristian (Fulton) played. Kristian made a couple plays; Nohl was involved in some and there were some things they need to clean up that would’ve helped us a little but it’s hard to be perfect out there the whole game. We played it a certain way knowing what we were dealing with and I think that helped the corners as well. We’re going to probably need the same thing this week. They may play one or two quarterbacks (and) I think both of those guys can sling the ball around, we’ve seen both of them and they have wide receivers that you need to worry about, too.”
Q: How optimistic are you about Omarr Norman-Lott and Ashton Gillotte’s future?
SPAGNUOLO: “I was really happy with the way Omarr (Norman-Lott) was progressing. Remember, he went through the injuries and that sets you back as a rookie a little bit but then, he started to find a groove and then he got hurt. So, he’s got that challenge of getting back there and getting healthy and being in shape. I thought Ashton (Gillotte) has been and hopefully will continue to be on a trajectory that’s going upward. It would’ve been nice to maybe get more reps in early (but) we were rotating guys, but I think he’s getting plenty towards the end here and I think that will help him going forward.”
Q: What did Nohl Williams do well that made you trust him so early in the season?
SPAGNUOLO: “Two things, I think he (Nohl Williams) tackles real well – I think he’s a physical corner and we like physical corners, and he’s got really good ball skills. We haven’t seen that yet in a game because I don’t know that the opportunity has come up for him, but I thought he was – one of the guys – I think he had a number of interceptions in college, yeah. I thought it was pretty good number. I’m hoping somewhere down the road, it’d be nice if it happened this week because turnovers have been tough for us, too. That’s one of the areas that we know we need to get better at. I know there were a couple times during games where Drue (Tranquill), especially, and Leo (Chenal) were punching balls out at they just didn’t land in our hands. Nick (Bolton) had a nice play last week, and that’s what you need, a couple of those, right? Tips and overthrows but getting back to Nohl, it was the tackling, the physicality and really his ball skills, initially, and then of course he had the same growth period that Kristian (Fulton) needed in learning the defense and those kinds of things. He’s getting there and if he can stack another game of playing solid that’d be a good thing for us.”
OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR MATT NAGY
Q: Where is the offense right now and where do you hope it goes next season?
NAGY: “The biggest thing for us that we’ve been really focusing in on, and this is not just offense but as a team is win. Do everything we can to win. As an offense, our part of it is making sure that we understand that this part of the season, going into the final game, it’s been a while since we’ve been in this territory, mentally as you go through the week of the prep stuff and then different players in different positions playing, that sort of thing. So, no matter who it is, the one common denominator is we have the same schedule throughout the week, with the practices, the same mindset for us of going in and trying to do everything we can to play well and win. Big picture offensively for us is I think all of us understanding that the season didn’t go as we wanted to in the end. There was parts of the year in the middle of the season where we felt like – and I think I brought this up to you before, we really felt like we were at a peak level offensively. Unfortunately, it didn’t last all the way through the year and now here we are at the end of the year playing in this game that is important to us to finish strong and it’s our job to do that, to coach strong, players to play strong and then in the end, win. I think the last several games didn’t go how we wanted but we want to finish on a high note.”
Q: How have you seen Brashard Smith grow over this year?
NAGY: “I’m impressed with Brashard (Smith). I think when we got him in here, it was exciting to know what his ceiling is. He’s got a way to go yet but you see the flashes. I mean you just look at that punt return he had the other day. We see it in practices, the things that he does. Hopefully he gets a few more opportunities here coming up in this game and as he grows through the offseason. I think the offseason for Brashard will be critical for him to – now it’s like all of these rookies when you come into this offense and you get to be able to know where to lineup and for instance on the right side or left side in a run and pass. He's a fast player (and) the next part for him is going to be just working through some of the protection side of it as a running back but it’s all right there, and I’m really proud of him and I think the ceiling is very high for him.”
Q: How did you see Kingsley Suamataia improve?
NAGY: “He (Kingsley Suamataia) did a great job, arrow up. Still ways to go, which is normal. The kid went from being a tackle to a guard. And then also, there’s the part of you think of a guy like Joe Thuney and at that position (and) at the guard position, Trey Smith these guys know the communication side of it, of what they’re doing with that part that sometimes never gets talked about, that communication side. The physical side is what we all see on TV and what we all see on film, but what about the mental side of the mistakes or the things that you’re doing well that you can see. That’s where I think he has really grown there. The confidence is there, and he needs to just keep that going. The kid has the ability to be really special and that’s just a credit to (General Manager Brett) Veach and (Head) Coach (Andy) Reid for bringing a guy like that in here.”
Chiefs Player Quotes
January 1, 2026
DT CHRIS JONES
Q: What would it mean to close your season on a win?
JONES: “Momentum going into next year. Unfortunately, this year wasn’t the year we planned (or) the outcome we were looking forward to. But we can build that momentum going into next year.”
Q: What do you remember most about this year?
JONES: “The adversity we faced along the way. Definitely was a learning curve this year. I appreciate the challenges. You learn a lot about yourself when you have a lot of tough times throughout the course of 17 weeks, so it’s been a journey to say the least. I learned a lot, I learned a lot.”
Q: What do you want to build on next year?