Kansas City’s latest hire proves they’re watching Baltimore closely

The Baltimore Ravens and Kansas City Chiefs are set to square off again in 2025, but the matchup will feature a little family drama this time. According to 247Sports’ Matt Zenitz, the Chiefs are hiring Chris Orr—brother of Ravens defensive coordinator Zach Orr—as a quality control coach after he spent last season coaching linebackers at Jackson State.

While this may seem like a minor hire, it’s worth noting that Zach Orr followed a similar coaching path before landing the Ravens’ defensive coordinator job. He went from a player to a defensive assistant, worked his way up, and now leads one of the league’s best defenses. If Chris follows that same trajectory, Baltimore could deal with an Orr-led defense in Kansas City sooner rather than later—the chess match continues.

The #Chiefs are expected to hire Jackson State linebackers coach Chris Orr, a source tells @CBSSports/@247Sports.

As a player, Orr was an All-Big Ten linebacker and team captain at Wisconsin and posted 78 tackles and 11.5 sacks in 2019. Then played in the NFL with the #Panthers.… pic.twitter.com/Xti9aVuJD6

— Matt Zenitz (@mzenitz) February 13, 2025

Adding to the intrigue is the fact that the Ravens already plucked away one of Kansas City’s own this offseason, hiring former Chiefs safeties coach Donald D’Alesio. Baltimore also brought in Chuck Pagano as a senior secondary coach to help Zach Orr, who took time to find his footing after replacing Mike Macdonald. Now, with the Chiefs bringing in a potential defensive mind of the future, this hire adds yet another wrinkle to one of the AFC’s most entertaining rivalries.

Who will have the better defense: The Ravens Orr the Chiefs?

The move gives Kansas City a young, rising coach who, if anything like his older brother, could be a name to watch in the coming years. It’s clear Andy Reid and the Chiefs noticed what’s been going on in Baltimore with Zach. It’ll be interesting to see what a few years under defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo could do for Chris.

Zach Orr took over Baltimore’s defense in 2024 after Macdonald left for the Seattle Seahawks, and while there were some growing pains early in the season, the Ravens ultimately returned to form as one of the most feared defensive units in the NFL. By Week 11, the Ravens’ defense was rolling, stuffing the run and imposing their will. Adding Pagano and D’Alesio should only help build on Baltimore’s continued success.

Chris Orr, meanwhile, is just getting started in the NFL coaching ranks, but if he’s anything like his brother, he’ll be making his impact felt sooner than later, which is less than stellar news for the Ravens.

Absolutely no one is rooting against Chris Orr, but let’s be real—his success in Kansas City could be. a potential nightmare for Baltimore. If he develops into a top defensive mind, then the Chiefs could get even more dangerous. That’s not exactly the best news for the Purple and Black.

This storyline will be especially fun when the Ravens and Chiefs meet at Arrowhead in 2025. The two Orr brothers will be on opposite sidelines, each trying to out-coach the other. Zach has the upper hand for now, but don’t sleep on Chris. If he gets his house in order quickly, Ravens fans might be dealing with another Orr-led defensive powerhouse sooner than they’d like.