A familiar face has returned to the Kansas City Chiefs, but in a slightly different capacity.
Former Chiefs WR Gehrig Dieter, who retired from the NFL in 2022, is among the coaching staff at rookie minicamp for the second consecutive season as a coaching intern. He first appeared in the same capacity, coaching wide receivers as an intern during the team's rookie minicamp in 2024.
Nicknamed "The Sheepdog" by Chiefs head coach Andy Reid, Dieter joined the team as an undrafted free agent out of the University of Alabama in 2017. He spent his first year on the practice squad in Kansas City, working on the scout team with Patrick Mahomes, developing a good working relationship and friendship with the future starting QB.
In 2018, Dieter was called up to the 53-man roster for the first time and was on the active roster through the playoffs. A back injury in 2019 would derail his progress and ultimately lead to him bouncing around between the practice squad and active roster for the remainder of his career in Kansas City.
Dieter appeared in 13 games in Kansas City from 2018 to 2020, including the playoffs, recording just three receptions for 43 yards on six targets. He thrived on special teams, and the coaching staff often praised his versatility.
In 2024, Dieter began his wide receiver training sessions for local area athletes in Olathe, Kansas.
Back in February, he shared this message on his Facebook page:
"Playing used to be one of the most rewarding things for me but coaching and teaching guys that want to learn and grind is a new passion of mine," Dieter wrote.
It's no surprise to see Dieter back with the team, given that coaching is his newfound passion. For instance, Chiefs RB coach Todd Pinkston used to play WR for Andy Reid with the Philadelphia Eagles. The role of a coaching intern is also often a path to becoming a full-time coach on the roster under Coach Reid. New defensive quality control coach, Chris Orr, started as a coaching intern in Kansas City as part of the Bill Walsh Fellowship in 2024.
Two years of this experience for Dieter could put him on a similar track. Expect Dieter to remain with the Chiefs and work with the wide receivers through the end of training camp.
