With legends Nick Saban, Pete Carroll, and now Bill Belichick leaving their respective organizations after incredible success, it makes you wonder about the future of Kansas City Chiefs Head Coach Andy Reid.
As the Senior Member of the NFL Coaching ranks, there will be a day when the Kansas City Chiefs and Head Coach Andy Reid part ways. On Thursday, we learned that New England Patriots Head Coach Bill Belichick was out after 24 years in New England, and Pete Carroll was out as head coach in Seattle after 14 years with the Seahawks.
Alabama Head Coach Nick Saban shocked the Crimson Tide fan base in the college ranks by saying he was hanging up his whistle after 17 highly successful seasons. The common thread with the coaches stepping down is that they are over 70.
Andy Reid will be 66 years old in March, with his struggles this year with an offense that has fallen chiefly flat, why would Reid continue coaching if Kansas City can win back-to-back Super Bowls?
He’s already a lock for the NFL Hall of Fame, and with Belichick out at New England and no guarantee he will coach again – though I suspect he will try to chase Don Shula’s win total – but if not, Reid becomes the senior member of NFL Coaches.
For 13 years, Andy Reid was a stable force in Philadelphia, but despite the love from the organization, he left on his terms. He was burned out, tired, and had to deal with family trauma that rocked the foundation. Yet, after a sales pitch from Kansas City Chiefs Chairman Clark Hunt, he relented and accepted the job.
Over the last 11-plus seasons, Reid has enjoyed incredible success. Eight straight AFC West titles, a pair of Super Bowl Trophies, and is regarded as the game’s premier offensive genus. Fans and teammates love him; he has a solid family core that keeps Reid fresh.
Still, with the legends dropping one by one this week, how can anyone feel certain Reid will coach to age 70? The NFL is all about change, and organizations that hold onto their past too long struggle to redefine that magic.
I’m not calling for Andy Reid to step down, and he will leave Kansas City on his terms, but with everyone gunning for the Chiefs on the field, the fact his offense needs a complete overhaul this offseason, it might be time for Reid to go out on top.
Honestly, I do not want that or expect this will be the case, but depending on the postseason outcome, I suspect he’ll take a long look at the road ahead. Further, it’s not well publicized, but Reid and Belichick are close friends.
Still, deciding to step down won’t be easy because he has a generational quarterback in Patrick Mahomes, but he’ll be 29 later this year, and the clock is ticking on his longevity.
This is the Golden Age of Chiefs football. Under Reid and Mahomes, the franchise has played football at its highest level in the last five seasons. It’s an unprecedented run, not expected for the Chiefs Kingdom to fathom until these two men were paired on the field.
Yet now that we are amid their combined success, the inevitable conversation begins: when will it end?
Outside of the loyal fan base, nobody believes the Chiefs are going to Las Vegas to attempt to win back-to-back Lombardi Trophies. If I’m being honest, I don’t see it, but with Reid and Mahomes, they’ve earned the benefit of my doubt.
As fans, we don’t want to think about that stuff, but in a week where three football giants are either stepping down or moving elsewhere, it’s time to appreciate what we have in Kansas City and enjoy the ride for as long as it lasts!
Update: On Thursday Head Coach, Andy Reid addressed those retirement rumors, “I’m old but not that old,” he quipped.
