In February 2016, Von Miller and the Denver Broncos’ defense smothered Cam Newton to win Super Bowl 50.
Of the last seven Super Bowls, that’s the only one Brendan Daly was not a part of.
Super Bowl LV will be the fifth consecutive appearance on the NFL’s grandest stage for Daly — three as the New England Patriots’ defensive line coach and the last two as the Kansas City Chiefs’ D-line coach/run game coordinator. He also coached in Super Bowl XLIX as a Patriots defensive assistant.
The gravity of that achievement is not lost on the 45-year-old.
“I’m extremely fortunate and extremely thankful,” Daly said Tuesday during Super Bowl media availability. “It doesn’t go unnoticed. I kind of pinch myself on a regular basis and am thankful to be coaching football at this time of year. There’s not many people who get to do it. It’s a fun game to be a part of. Every one of them is unique. It does not get old, I can promise you that. You work extremely hard to get to this point. It’s an honor and a privilege to get that opportunity. You’re right, I’m fortunate to be in it a number of times in a row here.
“All of them are different. All of them are unique. All of them have their challenges. But they’re a blast to be a part of, no doubt about that.”
Daly was part of the 2019 coaching exodus that followed New England’s Super Bowl LIII victory over the Los Angeles Rams.
Defensive play-caller Brian Flores took the Dolphins’ head-coaching job that offseason, bringing Chad O’Shea, Josh Boyer and Jerry Schuplinski with him to Miami. When the Patriots opted to hire Greg Schiano to replace Flores rather than promote from within, Daly, who has family ties to Kansas City and had worked under Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo in St. Louis, opted to join Andy Reid’s KC staff. (Schiano wound up resigning a month later and now coaches at Rutgers.)
Daly received a promotion when he moved to Kansas City and won a championship in his first season.
“My time in New England was a fantastic five years,” he said Tuesday in a video conference. “I really enjoyed the people there, both fans and the people in the organization and the community. It was a tremendous learning experience for me from a football standpoint. Obviously, we had a tremendous amount of success on the field, which was fantastic to be able to experience. A lot of great relationships with the people there — still do.
“You know, decisions in this profession are always difficult. That was not an easy one, to be honest. It is what it is. It’s a decision that I decided to make, and it’s been a great one for me. I’ve enjoyed my experience here in Kansas City.”
Just one NFL player has been on five consecutive Super Bowl teams: former Buffalo Bills and San Diego Chargers backup quarterback Gale Gilbert, who lost all five.
Daly has been far more fortunate. He’s 4-1 in Super Bowls heading into Sunday’s matchup with Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
