Atlanta Falcons

Falcons hire former Chiefs defensive coordinator Sutton

Published Feb. 11, 2019 11:03 a.m. ET

FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — Former Kansas City Chiefs defensive coordinator Bob Sutton has joined the Atlanta Falcons as a senior assistant.

Sutton was fired by the Chiefs two days after a crushing 37-31 loss in the AFC championship game, when Kansas City failed to stop Tom Brady and the New England Patriots on what turned out to be the only possession of overtime.

Sutton joins an Atlanta team that revamped its coaching staff after a disappointing 7-9 season, firing all three coordinators. Head coach Dan Quinn is taking over as defensive coordinator, and Sutton will assist with areas such as game management, timeout usage and replay review.

The 68-year-old Sutton had been Kansas City's defensive coordinator since 2013, when he joined Andy Reid's initial staff. The longtime college and NFL assistant previously spent 13 years in a variety of roles with the New York Jets, including a stint as defensive coordinator.