How long will Andy Reid keep coaching the Kansas City Chiefs?

How long will the 62-year-old Andy Reid keep coaching the Chiefs?

For far too long, the biggest concern surrounding Andy Reid‘s Hall of Fame coaching resume was his lack of a Super Bowl championship. He was often referred to as the best coach to never win the big game. And, after falling just short again in ’18 in the AFC Championship game against the Patriots (bringing his record in such contests to 1-4), we were left to wonder if he would ever win a ring.

All of that changed on February 2, 2020. Gone were the questions around Reid’s chances of making the Hall of Fame. Gone were the critics who questioned whether he was destined to always choke away his best shots. Gone were all the folks who wondered if his poor clock management and over-focus on offense would always cost his teams. With the Kansas City Chiefs 31-20 victory in Super Bowl LIV, Andy Reid cemented his legacy as a Pro Football Hall of Famer.

The only question remaining for Reid, and the Chiefs, is how long he’ll continue to coach. Reid turned 62 years old in March, but he has given no indication that he’s either slowing down or considering stepping away anytime soon. However, with the championship season now realized, one has to wonder when Reid, whose 207 wins as a head coach is 6th all time amongst head coaches, will decide to ride off into the sunset and enjoy retirement and his family.

Marv Levy and George Halas both coached until they were 72, the oldest head coaches in NFL history. Could the Chiefs see 10 more seasons of Andy Reid and quarterback Patrick Mahomes? While that seems doubtful, Reid certainly has not given any indication that it’s out of the queston

After the Super Bowl victory, Reid said: “You know what, I really haven’t [thought about retirement],” Reid said on Monday morning. “I still enjoy doing what I’m doing. I’ve got this young QB over here that makes life easy for me every day. It’s a pleasure to come to work and have an opportunity to coach him and his teammates.

For the Chiefs and their fans, one can only hope that Reid keeps coaching long enough to make a run at a true dynasty with Mahomes and this core of players. Of course, we should also hope for his sake that he calls it quit early enough to enjoy retirement.

Reader Question

Each week, we’ll answer a question or two from readers about our team. These can be about any topic related to the Chiefs, send me a question via DM (@kthomps58).

This week’s question comes from Greg Henley of Topeka, KS:

What team in the NFC should Chiefs fans be most concerned with potentially matching up with in Super Bowl LV?

Good question Greg, thank you!

If you’d have asked me this last year, I would have said the New Orleans Saints. Their combination of coaching, quarterback play and skill position players create matchup nightmares for opposing defenses and make it difficult to project scheme decisions which may be effective.

Now, I think I have the same answer. The offense should actually be better in 2020 with the addition of wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders, who infamously burned the Chiefs’ defense late in Super Bowl LIV and would have scored a go-ahead touchdown on the play if not for an ill-timed overthrow by San Francisco 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo. Sanders will open up the passing game for the most prolific pass-catcher in the NFL, Michael Thomas, along with tight end Jared Cook and running back Alvin Kamara. The Chiefs would need their secondary at the top of its’ game to try to stop Sean Payton‘s offense.

Chiefs Trivia

Each week’s column will feature a trivia question related to the Kansas City Chiefs. Challenge yourself by coming up with the correct response without looking it up! Enter for a chance to win a Chiefs prize via either Facebook or Twitter Direct/Private Messaging. Must retweet or share the column on your personal page, and provide the correct answer via PM/DM, to be eligible. Winner will be chosen at random on Saturday.

Last week’s winner Kiefer Holcomb who correctly identified the Todd Blackledge as the Chiefs quarterback with the most interceptions in a game (6). .

This week’s question trivia is: In honor of what AFL star did the Chiefs officially retire the jersey number 28? 

NFL Story of the Week

The story of the country over the last week has been protests sweeping the nation against institutionalized racism, systematic oppression and police brutality. In the NFL, that has manifested itself in multiple ways including: current and past players speaking out against institutionalized racism in the league and the country, owners and players walking-back comments they’ve made either now or in the past about protests, the police and kneeling for the national anthem, and finally, in owners and the league itself speaking out in support of Black Lives Matter.

Nearly all of this has been positive. The league (and its’ owners and players) should both reverse course from previous anti-protest rhetoric and also should use its’ platform to advance efforts towards racial equality.

However, the league should not simply be praised for what it says; nor should the NFL be let off the hook for their responses to the BLM movement and anthem-protests from their inception. The league cannot merely pay lip service to the cause but must also demonstrate, through tangible, targeted action, that it has legitimately and completed reversed course from its rather despicable handling of Colin Kaepernick‘s leadership.

Yes, this has been a welcome and positive step for Roger Goodell and the rest of the NFL. But until they prove that this is more than just rhetoric, that tangible action will be taken both now and into the future, we should all be cautious not to just accept the league’s words at face value and heap praise on to the shoulders of (largely) white billionaires. We must demand action.

Chiefs Fact of the Week

Chiefs Hall of Fame kicker Jan Stenerud originally enrolled at Montana State on a skiing scholarship.

Chiefs Record of the Week

Despite starting for less than two complete seasons worth of the games (31 career regular season starts), quarterback Patrick Mahomes has already tied the Chiefs record for most number of games with 350+ passing yards, with nine. That ties former Kansas City quarterback Trent Green.

Random Fact of the Week

Banging your head against the wall for one hour burns 150 calories.

Sports Quote of the Week

“We all need to treat each other like brothers and sisters, and become something better. Let’s be the world where my little sister, generations to come, and even my future kids will grow up never having to experience these tragedies and instead love each other unconditionally!” ~Patrick Mahomes

Oddball Sport of the Week

Anbo-Jitsu (From Star Trek: The Next Generation). Called the “evolution of martial arts” by Commander Riker, Anbo-Jitsu involves wearing protective armor, holding a staff, and wearing a helmet that effectively renders you blind, and then you fight.