THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- If Herm Edwards is on his way out as coach of the Kansas City Chiefs, his new boss isn't saying.

In his first news conference since being hired as the final authority on all Chiefs football operations, new general manager Scott Pioli would go no further Wednesday than to say he intends to visit with Edwards.

"I have a lot of respect for Herm. I had a chance to visit with Herm today," said Pioli, who spent the last nine years helping Bill Belichick build a dynasty in New England.

"I've got a lot of respect for Herm on a professional level and a personal level. This entire thing is going to be a process."

There have been reports that Edwards, 2-23 in his last 25 games, was on his way out.

"Contrary to reports that were out there, we're going to spend some time talking about Herm," said Pioli. "I'm actually looking forward to it."

Edwards and his staff were 6-26 in their last two years, the worst span in team history. They have been waiting to learn their fate since Dec. 15, when Carl Peterson resigned after 20 years as president, CEO and general manager.

Chiefs board chairman Clark Hunt, who has said he liked Edwards and thought he might be the best man to continue the organization's rebuilding, said only that he and Pioli would discuss the situation with open minds and that it would be a "joint decision."

Now that Hunt has hired Pioli to head football operations, he will go about putting someone in charge of business operations. He declined to say whether Denny Thum, a longtime team employee, would be given top priority, or even if he would interview other candidates.