Chiefs already planning 2021 celebration

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The Jets aggressively pursued Dennison after he was fired as the Bills offensive coordinator following the 2017 season. Dennison was the top choice for newly promoted offensive coordinator Jeremy Bates, who worked with him in Denver and subscribed to the same offensive principles.

Maccagnan and Dennison’s camp agreed to a fouryear deal that would offset some of Buffalo’s remaining financial obligations in 2018 and 2019.

There was no logical reason for Dennison to join the Jets, who had missed the playoffs for seven consecutive years, without a financial incentive. So, Maccagnan structured a contract that included about $1 million spread over the final two years of the deal to ensure it would be approved by the league office.

There was an understanding between both parties that Dennison would collect that money if he retired after two seasons. If he kept coaching beyond 2019, the sides would re-negotiate the final two years of the contract to reflect market value. Maccagnan, who was fired in May, could not be reached for comment.

Everything changed when Todd Bowles was fired after the 2018 season.

The Jets held on to their assistants in case the next head coach wanted to retain any of them. (Gase didn’t retain anyone on the offensive staff ).

Although that’s not an unprecedented move, it put assistants in limbo when time is of the essence during the annual coaching carousel.

When Maccagnan informed Dennison that he would not be retained by Gase — who hadn’t been officially hired, but had an agreement in place — the team signed off on Dennison seeking other employment. The Jets packed up Dennison’s remaining belongings in his office and

KANSAS CITY — Hundreds of thousands of Chiefs fans braved sub-freezing wind chills on Wednesday to celebrate the team’s first Super Bowl victory in 50 years, and if coach Andy Reid is to be believed, they’ll be back for an encore next year.

Fans lined the 2-mile parade route to thank their football heroes for bringing the Lombardi Trophy back to Kansas City and ending a Super Bowl drought that began after the Chiefs won Super Bowl IV in 1970.

Reid thanked the fans for their continued support and for attending the parade.

“Next year, we’re coming right back here,” Reid said in a brief speech. “One more time baby, one more time.”

Quarterback Patrick Mahomes, the Super Bowl MVP who has captured the fans’ devotion in only his third NFL season, struggled with a strained voice but said the championship fulfilled two goals he set when he became the team’s starter.

First, he said, he wanted to bring the Lamar Hunt trophy for winning the AFC championship back to Kansas City. The late Hunt and the Hunt family founded the team as the Dallas Texans in 1960 before moving the team to Kansas City in 1963 and changing the name.

“The second most important thing I wanted to do was get the Lombardi Trophy for the greatest coach of all time, Andy Reid,” he said.

Hunt’s son, Clark, said his father told him before he died in 2006 that the parade and celebration after the 1970 Super Bowl was the best day of his life because of the joy of the fans.

The event was nearly marred three hours before the parade, when an impaired driver broke through a barrier and sped along the route. Stop Sticks were thrown and patrol vehicles put the car into a forced spin, stopping it near a crowd of fans. The driver and another person were arrested at gunpoint. locker and prepared to ship them to his home.

When the Vikings offered Dennison a deal to become their offensive line coach, he informed the Jets, who did an about-face. The team refused to pay the roughly $1 million that both parties had previously agreed to, citing strict contract language that didn’t refer to the payout as a guarantee. Terminating Dennison’s contract would have triggered payment. However, a resignation would get the team off the hook.

The Jets did not make team president Hymie Elhai, who has taken the lead on this matter, available for comment. Gase did not respond to several attempts for comment. A Jets public relations official didn’t respond to request for comment from Gase.

Four general managers reached for this story believed that this was a highly questionable tactic by the Jets. Dennison had found other employment, but that shouldn’t have affected the $1 million in question with the Jets.

“They’re hiding behind the contract language and screwing the guy,” a second general manager said of the Jets. “We don’t do things that way.”