KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Herm Edwards, the head coach of the Kansas City Chiefs during the worst two-year span in team history, was fired yesterday.

Edwards goes out with a three-year, regular-season record of 15-33 and with one year remaining on a four-year, $12 million contract. As head coach of the New York Jets in 2001-05, he had a regular-season mark of 39-41 and was 2-3 in the playoffs.

Edwards had been waiting to learn his fate since president and general manager Carl Peterson abruptly resigned on Dec. 15. When Scott Pioli was introduced as Peterson's successor on Jan. 13, he was noncommittal and said only that he intended to speak with Edwards.

"This was not an easy decision. Herm is an outstanding football coach and a man of integrity. We appreciate his leadership over the past three seasons, and we wish him all the best in the future," Chiefs owner Clark Hunt said in a written statement.

Pioli said he has had several conversations with Edwards over the last week.

"After careful consideration, Clark and I felt that it was best to make a change," Pioli said.

Bob Moore, a spokesman for the team, said the Chiefs didn't have a timeline for replacing Edwards. He said all the assistant coaches still with Kansas City are under contract.

Edwards expressed his gratitude to the Hunt family and said he respected "the tough decision that was made to move in a new direction."

"There is not a more gracious family in all of professional sports than the Hunts," Edwards said in a statement released by the team. "To the players and coaches who worked so hard for our team, I appreciate their efforts."

After Edwards and Peterson launched a full-fledged rebuilding project in 2008, youth and injury led to a 2-14 record and a distressful two-year tally of 6-26 that cost both men their jobs.

CARDINALS

RB ARRINGTON MISSES PRACTICE TO REST KNEE

Arizona running back J.J. Arrington sat out practice for the second day in a row yesterday but said "I'll be fine" when the Cardinals play the Pittsburgh Steelers in the Super Bowl on Feb. 1.

Arrington injured his right knee late in the first half of Arizona's 32-25 victory over Philadelphia in the NFC championship game. He was the only player to miss yesterday's workout. Defensive ends Travis LaBoy (biceps), a former University of Hawai'i standout, and Antonio Smith (knee) were limited. Punter Ben Graham also was limited with a left groin injury.

49ERS

REEVES INTERVIEWS FOR OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR

Longtime Denver Broncos coach Dan Reeves interviewed for the San Francisco 49ers open offensive coordinator position yesterday.

Reeves met with Niners coach Mike Singletary and general manager Scot McCloughan at the team's facility in Santa Clara, Calif., as the team tries to fill the gap after Mike Martz was fired.

Reeves, was a head coach for 23 seasons in the NFL with Denver, the New York Giants and Atlanta. But he has been out of coaching since being replaced by Wade Phillips with three games left in the 2003 season with the Falcons.

Reeves, 65, had a 190-165-2 record as a head coach, making the postseason nine times and losing in all four trips he made to the Super Bowl.

GIANTS

EX-LATECH COACH IS OFFENSIVE LINE ASSISTANT

New York Giants coach Tom Coughlin picked Jack Bicknell Jr., one of his former Boston College players, as the NFL team's new assistant offensive line coach.

The appointment was announced yesterday.

Bicknell was head coach at Louisiana Tech for eight years before coming to Boston College, where he served as assistant head coach and offensive line coach for the past two seasons. Coughlin also succeeded Bicknell's father as coach of the Big East school in 1991.

The younger Bicknell was an offensive lineman at Boston College when Coughlin served as the school's quarterback coach. He succeeds Dave DeGuglielmo, who left the Giants last week to become offensive line coach of the Miami Dolphins.

LIONS

FIRED RAM LINEHAN IS OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR

For the second time in three years, the Detroit Lions have turned to an ex-St. Louis Rams coach to try to turn around their dismal offense.

New Lions coach Jim Schwartz yesterday hired Scott Linehan as offensive coordinator. The Rams fired Linehan as head coach after the team opened the 2008-09 season 0-4.

"Scott brings a lot of experience, not only to the offensive coordinator position, but also coaching the quarterbacks, which is a job description for our offensive coordinator, and also head coaching experience in the NFL," Schwartz said at a news conference.

In 2006, the Lions also turned to a fired Rams coach to head their offensive effort. They hired Mike Martz a month after he was fired by St. Louis. He coached the Rams from 2000-2005, including a Super Bowl loss in 2001.

SUPER BOWL

NFL EXPERIENCE OPENS WEEK OF FESTIVITIES

Today, when Hall of Famer Michael Haynes carries the Vince Lombardi Trophy onto the grounds of the NFL Experience at Raymond James Stadium, it will unofficially mark the beginning of Super Bowl XLIII week.

The NFL Experience, a miniature city of football overload, opens in Tampa, Fla..

The Lombardi Trophy, which will be awarded to either the Pittsburgh Steelers or the Arizona Cardinals after Super Bowl XLIII next Sunday, will be placed on exhibit in a glass-encased shrine for the week.

This is the 18th year of the NFL Experience, and it's bigger than ever. With more than 50 stations of NFL simulation, adults and kids can get a feel for what it's like to experience the big time.

NFL Experience spokeswoman Christine Mills said long lines should not be a problem despite the thousands of people expected during the week at one of the few events open to the public.

"The interactive festival includes areas for passing, running and kicking.