Ex-Chiefs coach Dick Vermeil says Jared Allen used to drive Gunther Cunningham crazy
Former Chiefs coach Dick Vermeil was known for building offensive powerhouses, but he also would make a case for adding a defensive player he really liked.
One of those players was Jared Allen, who played for the Chiefs from 2004-’07.
Vermeil revealed that while talking with former Chiefs kicker Morten Andersen on the “Great Dane Nation” podcast.
“I was the reason they drafted him,” Vermeil said. “I always said if you want credit, go to the bank. That’s what I used to tell my coaches. You coach those guys and give them credit. But it came to the fourth round pick and I finally said, ‘Guys, listen, I have Grant Wistrom. I drafted him in the first round, and I love him. This guy is a bigger Grant Wistrom, and he’s sitting there. And our defensive coaches didn’t say anything. So finally, I didn’t have the final say on the draft but I said, ‘Carl, we’ve got to take this guy.’ And we took him, I love him.”
Allen had 43 sacks in four seasons with the Chiefs, and was an All-Pro in his final year in Kansas City.
Thing is, Vermeil recalled, Allen and defensive coordinator Gunther Cunningham didn’t always get along. Cunningham, who died in 2019, was known for his intensity and attention to detail.
“Now he he bugged our defensive coordinator a little bit because he was immature, both off the field and on the field sometimes,” Vermeil said. “He wasn’t always as disciplined as you’d like him to be with fitting with the scheme. It would bug Gunther (who) would get upset with him. But I would say just make sure we don’t screw him up. Let him play. And if he does make a mistake, he’ll make it full speed, and a couple of times a game, he’ll make a mistake and make us look smart.
“Great football player. To this day I can’t understand why the Chiefs let him go.”
When the Chiefs and Allen couldn’t agree on a contract, he was traded to the Vikings ahead of the 2008 season. He had 85 1/2 sacks in six seasons with the Vikings before ending his career with the Bears and Panthers.
Vermeil and Andersen spoke for an hour and much of the discussion was about the Chiefs. Here are a few highlights.
Vermeil on Patrick Mahomes
“Well I think Patrick Mahomes is a combination of all the quarterbacks who are already in the Hall of Fame,” Vermeil said. “He has their attributes. What does he not have? I’ve sat in Patrick Mahomes quarterback meetings with Andy Reid. I’ve sat in offensive coordinator meetings with Patrick Mahomes. I’ve sat in the team meetings and I’ve spoken to the team there with Andy. So I’ve been around that environment, and I don’t know what he doesn’t have.
“If you talk about John Elway who I thought was as fine as there ever was or Joe Montana, there were certain things maybe they couldn’t do as well as the best in the Hall. But you take the Hall of Fame quarterbacks and you take Patrick Mahomes, he has the attributes of all of them. So I think he’s gonna end up being the best ever. Now will he play as long as Brady? He has more physical skills than Tom Brady. And if he maintains the right frame of mind, I think one day he’ll be evaluated as the finest that ever played.”
Vermeil on Will Shields
“A wonderful human being. I’d say he was the most disciplined, quality, techniqued athlete in the offensive line I’d ever been around,” Vermeil said of Will Shields. “Remember our walk-throughs? He would walk through with the most serious mindset in regard to his fundamental techniques, in playing against the opponent he was going to play. Even when he was not In the huddle and the second guard was in his position, he would be over on the sideline, walking through things, working on technique. An extremely skilled intelligent player.
“And when you see him now it’s hard to recognize; he’s about 40 or 50 pounds lighter. We were in Kansas City a couple months ago and we had dinner together. A special guy. A gifted offensive lineman, as an athlete, as work ethic as intelligent, as committed, a great community giver.
“I can remember when I got there, he was a free agent. He could leave. I can remember taking he and his wife out to dinner, I almost forced them to start drinking red wine, and (we) talked about what we were going to do and how we were going to do it, and how we would use him. Because they really, in the offense they were running, they really didn’t take advantage of a lot of his abilities in space. He could get out there and run and he can also change courses and he could line up and take on an All-Pro linebacker and deck him. And that’s the best way to evaluate a true All-Pro is how does he compete against another true All-Pro. He would win more than his share of those individual battles.”
Vermeil on Hall of Fame call
“I’m walking out of the airport, just getting off the airplane, and my phone rings, and it’s Dave Baker. ... I’m not calling you to buy a case of wine, that’s what he says. I’m letting you know that you just won the vote for the coach nomination going into the Hall of Fame.
“My first comments were, ‘Oh my god, I don’t know if I deserve this.’ And so I lean back against the wall, and I tell (my wife) Carol what’s happening, and she screams, ‘Well, it’s about time!’”
This story was originally published September 29, 2021 at 10:02 AM.
