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Joe Cullen
Defensive Line
Biography
Joe Cullen returns for his fourth season as defensive line coach for the Kansas City Chiefs in 2025, marking his 19th year in the National Football League.
Joe Cullen returns for his fourth season as defensive line coach for the Kansas City Chiefs in 2025, marking his 19th year in the National Football League.
Cullen coached in his third-straight Super Bowl with the club in 2024 (LVII, LVIII and LIX) and recorded a franchise-best 15-2 regular season record. Cullen's defensive front was led by DT Chris Jones and DE George Karlaftis. Karlaftis had a standout year with 28 quarterback hits, 8.0 sacks, nine tackles for loss and five passes defensed. Jones' play earned him his sixth Pro Bowl nomination and third AP All-Pro selection (first-team) after posting 5.0 sacks along with 20 quarterback hits and nine tackles for loss.
In 2023, the defensive line helped lead the charge to back-to-back Super Bowl titles for Cullen and the Chiefs (LVII and LVIII). Cullen again had a top performing defensive line which was highlighted by DT Chris Jones and DE George Karlaftis. Jones recorded his second-consecutive season with double-digit sacks with 10.5 (-71.5 yards) with four passes defensed, 29 quarterback pressures and 13 tackles for loss. Jones was voted by his teammates to be a playoff captain for the second-straight year, earned an AP All-Pro team (first-team) selection and was selected to his fifth Pro Bowl. In just his second year, Karlaftis recorded 10.5 sacks (-55.5 yards). In total, the defensive line had the second-most sacks in the league for a second-straight year with 57.0 (-351.0 yards) and the second-most in a single season in Chiefs history. With Cullen's direction, the defense allowed the fewest second half points in the league (126), including three second half shutouts and allowed no more than 27 points in a game in both the regular season and postseason.
In his first year with the club, 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: first in QB hits (198), second in sacks (55.0 sacks, -388 yards), second in QB pressures (241), fifth in rushing plays of 20+ yards (seven) and eighth 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 was 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 ranked 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.
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 defensive line 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 LB 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 11th with 41.0 sacks, including 11.0 sacks coming from DE Terrell Suggs en route to his seventh Pro Bowl selection. The Ravens defense ranked sixth in points allowed (18.9 ppg).
Cullen spent two seasons (2014-15) as the defensive line coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Over those two seasons, the Bucs ranked fifth in tackles for loss (173), totaled 74.0 sacks and allowed just 4.9 yards after catch per reception, which tied for second 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 (332.4 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 DT Shaun Rogers (7.0 in 2007) and DE 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: ÂUniversity of Massachusetts Amherst (1990). Born: Quincy, Mass. Family: Wife - Andrea; Daughters - Julia, Justina, and Jenna.