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Joe Cullen returns for his second season as defensive line coach for the Kansas City Chiefs in 2023, marking his 17th year in the National Football League.

Joe Cullen returns for his second season as defensive line coach for the Kansas City Chiefs in 2023, marking his 17th year in the National Football League.

Cullen made an immediate impact on the organization, coaching the 2022 defensive line as a component of a top producing defense. In 2022, the Chiefs defense ranked in the Top 10 in many categories: second in sacks (55.0 sacks, -388 yards), first in QB hits (198), second in QB pressures (241), fifth in rushing plays of 20+ yards, and eigth in rushing yards allowed (107.2). The defensive line's success culminated in the Super Bowl LVII victory where they held a highly regarded Eagles run game to just 28 rushing yards in the second half. Cullen mentored veteran DT Chris Jones to another Pro Bowl season with 15.5 sacks, tying his career-high (2018). Jones recorded his first postseason sacks in his career with his 2.0 sacks (-13 yards) of Joe Burrow in the AFC Championship Game. Jones was also the AFC Defensive Player of the Year (101 Awards), selected to AP All-Pro (first team) and voted by his teammates to be a playoff captain. Fellow 2022 Pro Bowler DE Frank Clark brought his postseason sack total to 13.5 en route to Super Bowl LVII, which ranks him third all-time in the NFL. Cullen quickly developed rookie DE George Karlaftis who started all 17 regular season games and recorded 6.0 sacks, 11 quarterback pressures and seven passes defensed. His 6.0 sacks were the fifth most for a rookie in franchise history. DT Khalen Saunders and DE Mike Danna both notched new career highs for regular season sacks with 3.5 and 5.0, respectively.

In 2021, Cullen served as the defensive coordinator with the Jacksonville Jaguars. Cullen helped lead the defense to improvements in all major categories, including yards per game allowed, points per game allowed, yards per carry allowed and passing yards per game. Jacksonville's sack total improved from 18.0 to 32.0 in one season with Cullen leading the defense. Under his tutelage, DE Josh Allen led the team in total tackles with 71, four passes defensed and 7.5 sacks. 

The 2021 season marked his second stint with the Jaguars after spending three seasons (2010-12) as their defensive line coach where he assisted the Jaguars to a No. 6 finish in the NFL in yards allowed (313.0 ypg) in 2011. 

Prior to arriving in Jacksonville the second time, Cullen spent five seasons as the defensive line coach in Baltimore (2016-20). In 2020, Baltimore allowed the NFL's second-fewest points (18.9) and seventh-fewest yards (329.8) per game. The Ravens also owned the No. 2 third-down defense (34.0 pct.) and produced a league-high 25 forced fumbles. That season, Cullen oversaw DT Calais Campbell to his sixth Pro Bowl selection, as well as DT Matt Judon to his third-straight Pro Bowl (2018-20). In 2019, the Ravens finished with the NFL's No. 4 defense (300.6 ypg) and allowed the third-fewest points per game (17.6). In 2018, Baltimore boasted the league's top-ranked defense (292.9 ypg) and permitted the league's second-fewest points per game (17.9), en route to winning the AFC North title. That season, Cullen tutored DT Brandon Williams to his first Pro Bowl selection. In 2017, Cullen led Baltimore's defensive line, which was part of a defensive unit that led the league in takeaways (34) and finished tied for ninth with 41.0 sacks, including 11.0 sacks coming from DE Terrell Suggs en route to his seventh Pro Bowl selection. The Ravens defense was dominant, ranking sixth in scoring (18.9 ppg) and third in total defense.

Cullen spent two seasons (2014-15) as the defensive line coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Over those two seasons, the Bucs ranked seventh in sacks (74.0) and tackles for loss (173). Tampa Bay allowed just 3.67 yards per catch, which ranked third in the NFL. He tutored DT Gerald McCoy to back-to-back Pro Bowl selections. 

In 2013, Cullen helped guide one of the best defensive turnarounds in team history as the Cleveland Browns finished ninth in total defense (322.4 ypg) after ranking 23rd the previous season. 

In 2009, Cullen left the NFL to be the defensive line coach at Idaho State. His first NFL coaching job came in 2006 where he was the defensive line coach for the Detroit Lions for three seasons (2006-08). Under Cullen, four different Lions players recorded career-high sack numbers, including Shaun Rogers (7.0 in 2007) and Cory Redding (8.0 in 2006). 

Prior to his time as an NFL coach, Cullen was a defensive assistant at Illinois in 2005. He spent two seasons (2002-03) with Indiana University as their defensive line coach, before transitioning to their defensive coordinator in 2004. Cullen spent four seasons (1992-96) with the University of Richmond as their defensive line coach before becoming their defensive coordinator (1997-98). After doing a year at Louisiana State University (1999) as their defensive line coach, he returned to Richmond to be their defensive coordinator in 2000. 
In college at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, Cullen was a four year starting nose tackle. He was a three-time All-Yankee Conference selection and was the Minutemen's team MVP in 1989. He graduated in 1990 with a bachelor's degree in sports management. He got his first collegiate coaching job at his alma mater, where he started as a graduate assistant there before becoming a position coach.

Education:­University of Massachusetts Amherst (1990). Born: Quincy, Mass. Family:Wife - Andrea; Daughters - Julia, Justina, and Jenna.