Why NFL coaches wear headsets and who Andy Reid and Nick Sirianni are speaking to at Super Bowl

As the Kansas City Chiefs face the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LIX this weekend, fans will notice coaches wearing headsets.

This is a common theme in the NFL, with almost all coaches on the sidelines wearing microphone gear throughout each game. 

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Iconic Chiefs boss Andy Reid will have his piece on all night as Patrick Mahomes and co. look to make history in New Orleans this weekend.

Reid, Eagles coach Nick Sirianni and other staff will be seen talking into their microphones on almost every play of the big game on Sunday.

Here, talkSPORT.com takes a look at why…

Why do NFL coaches wear headsets? 

Coaches wear headsets to communicate with other staff and players during a game. 

Due to the incredible amount of noise created by the crowd inside a stadium, it’s vital for them to use the equipment to speak to each other. 

The noise-cancelling headsets have a built-in microphone that is used by coaches to send messages to their players, assistants, coordinators or tacticians. 

Some of the staff members will also be on the sidelines, but some will be in a booth somewhere higher up in the stadium.

They will often send messages down to the coaches who are on the field from their vantage points via the headsets. 

It is reported that over 20 coaches can be tuned into the communication system at once, with two channels available – one for offense and one for defense. 

Only one player from the offensive unit and one from the defensive unit will have a communication device in their helmets. 

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Those players can’t speak back to their coaches while on the field, but they can hear the instructions being given to them. 

The helmets of the players who can communicate with coaches are marked with a green dot to show referees who is able to hear the staff.

The quarterback usually has the speakers in their helmet when on the field as they are the key to every offensive play – as is the case with Mahomes’ custom helmet for the Chiefs.

They can hear coaches call plays or change approaches, while on defense, the player who communicates with coaches is typically a middle or inside linebacker.

This was a feature introduced to the NFL in 1994 to allow for limited communication between coaches and players when in the middle of a game. 

But headset communication in general, has been around in the league since 1956. 

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Coaches Reid and Sirianni will both be getting set for their huge meeting on Sunday as the Chiefs meet the Eagles in the Super Bowl again. 

talkSPORT will have live commentary of the NFL showpiece this weekend. 

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