Edwards goes out with a three-year regular-season record of 15-33 and 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 told FOXSports.com's Jay Glazer that he was fired at 3 p.m. CT, with new general manager Scott Pioli telling him the team wanted to go in another direction.

"That's OK," Edwards told FOXSports.com. "I told (Pioli) I didn't need an explanation. I understand the business. I'm OK with it.

Deposed Denver coach Mike Shanahan will "definitely'' not coach the Kansas City Chiefs in 2009 -- nor will he take a coaching job anywhere prior to the 2009 season, an NFL source close to Shanahan said late Friday night. The source said Shanahan was adamant that he was not coaching the Chiefs.

This confirms the NFL Network report by Adam Schefter from Friday evening that Shanahan would not take the Kansas City job, which was a response to an ESPN report that Shanahan and the Chiefs were in talks that could have had him replacing Herman Edwards, who was fired by new general manager Scott Pioli Friday.

The affirmation that Shanahan won't coach anywhere at the start of the 2009 season won't do anything to lessen the heat on coaches in tenuous positions to start next season, like Dallas coach Wade Phillips. Cowboys owner Jerry Jones admires both Shanahan and Mike Holmgren, the former Seattle coach who likely will return to football in 2010 as a coach or general manager or both.

Why did the Shanahan story gain so much momentum late in the week? Shanahan, shortly after he was fired Dec. 30, expressed admiration for Pioli to a friend and said anyone who would take a coaching job this off-season would love to be able to work with Pioli because he was the best personnel man in the business. Shanahan would want a strong personnel man to accompany him in whatever new coaching job he'd take, and Pioli, who was on the verge of firing Edwards, was exactly that man.

But there wasn't a compelling reason for Shanahan to take the Kansas City job. This is a good year for Shanahan to kick back. He's getting paid $7 million from Denver owner Pat Bowlen to not coach. His daughter is getting married this summer. He needs time to re-assemble a coaching staff. In the end, the Kansas City job might have made sense from the standpoint of a team in need with an owner, Clark Hunt, who would spend the money to win and a smart young GM. But it didn't make sense to Shanahan.