If anyone is looking for a supreme example of the National Football League's "what have you done for me lately?" culture, just look at the conversation around Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid in the last few months. If you tune in to the right frequency around various water coolers or NFL talking heads, you'd think Reid was a has-been, an ol' coach who has let the game pass him by—not one of the single greatest coaches in the history of the sport.
For the record, Reid has coached in five of the last seven Super Bowls, with three rings to show for it, making him the most decorated active head coach in the league. He's one of four coaches in the 300-win club, and he's won 100-plus games with two different franchises. He moved the Chiefs from a completely overlooked mid-market team to a reigning dynasty, but after one frustrating season in 2025, he's been written off by one too many.
Fortunately, some writers are getting it right. NBC Sports recently released a ranking of the NFL's head coaches going into the 2026 season, and despite the Chiefs' miserable six-win season a year ago, Reid only dropped a single spot from his post as the NFL's best a year ago. This year, he ranks at No. 2 overall, just behind Sean McVay of the Los Angeles Rams—the results of a list that maintains proper respect for the man's body of work and not a frustrating season.
Of course, it needs to be said that Reid did not have a good year last year as head coach. No one in the Chiefs' organization did. Yes, there was some bad luck. Yes, there were significant injuries. But there were also coaching foibles aplenty—odd player usage that kept obvious starters on the bench and overwhelmed players on the field; play calls that drove fans crazy, a stubbornness that refused to make clearly-needed adjustments. Reid should shoulder the blame for all of that.
That said, the first wave of moves for the Chiefs this offseason shows that some lessons have been learned. Eric Bieniemy is back as offensive coordinator with a renewed emphasis on accountability. The Chiefs have completely committed to the run game—off the field, at least—with the signing of Kenneth Walker and the hirings of Bieniemy and DeMarco Murray. Plenty of coaching staff changes have also been announced, making it clear that the entire franchise felt the appropriate sting of sitting at home for a winter.
Short attention spans are a cultural given at this point, but there's no reason for NFL fans to lose their memories in the process. Reid is a Mt. Rushmore head coach and the Chiefs are fortunate to have him for as long as he's interested in standing on the sidelines. One year doesn't change that, even if it was maddening to watch it unfold.