Three straight wins will do this: Any perceived discord between Chiefs coach Todd Haley and general manager Scott Pioli is nothing more than rootless chatter.
That's what team owner Clark Hunt indicated in comments to The Kansas City Star on Thursday, as the 3-3 Chiefs prepare for Monday night's AFC West showdown with the Chargers.
"Making a head coaching change is not something we're contemplating. They have an excellent relationship," Hunt said of Haley and Pioli. "I understand there's been a lot of focus on that subject. But in the time I've been around them, they work very well together. They have a shared vision for the kind of football team they're trying to build.
"I don't think it serves a purpose for me to publicly discuss anybody's contract situation. I do think Todd has done a very good job since he's been the head coach of the Chiefs. We were obviously delighted to make the playoffs last year, and he has the team playing well again. Those types of things tend to take care of themselves at the right time."
Pioli denied reports earlier this month that he was prepared to fire Haley if his team lost to the Colts in Week 5. The Chiefs won a tight contest over Indy 28-24, but Pioli said Haley was never on the hot seat to begin with.
Hunt has talked about molding the Chiefs into a franchise built to last. He doesn't appear interested in rebooting the machine, and that means weathering the storm of this season's rough start. In a league that throws coaches into the blender at the first sign of trouble, it's a refreshing departure from the panic-button, zero-patience mentality we've grown accustomed to.