Kansas City Chiefs coach Andy Reid knew the questions were coming. The Chiefs have had a tough season, Patrick Mahomes might be out early next season and Reid is 67, so the retirement questions were inevitable.
So was Reid’s response. He’s given no hints that he might be done during any of the duress the Chiefs have experienced, and he reiterated his intent to return with the final game of the season approaching.
“I think I’m coming back, right?” Reid said to Jayne Bardahl of The Athletic in a story that’s also been reported by multiple other outlets. “If they’ll have me back, I’ll come back. You never know in this business. That’s a tough one, but I plan on it, yeah.”
Reid’s record speaks for itself, and so do the money numbers on his contract. His overall record during his 13 seasons in Kansas City is 149-63, and he’s three for five when it comes to Super Bowl wins vs. appearances. Reid signed his last extension in April of 2024, and he’s being paid over $18 million a year through the 2029 season.
That would be a tough number to walk away from, but Reid’s situation is more about loyalty to quarterback Patrick Mahomes and faith in his quarterback’s ability to recover from the ACL/LCL injury that ended his season a couple of weeks ago. Reid and Mahomes have formed a strong bond that likely goes beyond the coach’s ties to the organization, although those are obviously strong as well.
Reid will face a different set of challenges going forward, however. Kansas City struggled mightily in one-score games this season after being routed in last year’s Super Bowl by the Philadelphia Eagles, and the Chiefs rabid fan base will have questions given that Kansas City has since slumped to 6-10 and currently has five-game losing streak.
Most of the questions will be about Mahomes, of course, but the lack of a running game has been an issue for several seasons now with part of the fan base. The receivers were also erratic this year, and injuries to the offensive line basically left Mahomes defenseless and helped lead to the injury that ended his season.
There are issues on the other side of the ball as well. The defense has played well for most of the year, but the pass rush didn’t get home during the second half of the season, and the feeling around the league is that a roster reset is likely coming. Thankfully the franchise won’t have to go through a big turnover with Reid sticking around.
