Andy Reid told members of the media on February 3rd that he has no plans of retiring anytime soon. During Super Bowl LIX Opening Night, when asked if he would hang up his playsheet if the Chiefs win the big game on Sunday, Reid said, “Ah no, I’m not there yet, no… I’m not retiring,”
Reid added that he doesn’t compare his age (66) to the age of former Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Bruce Arians when he won he became the oldest coach to ever win a Super Bowl at 68.
“Yeah, I don’t think about that, but Bruce was a great coach,” Reid said. “He was a good man, too. But you don’t know. I’m enjoying what I’m doing.”
Reid wasn’t the only person who had to dispel gossip surrounding his retriement. Kansas City Chiefs chairman and CEO Clark Hunt also shut down the idea of Reid retiring.
“Yeah, I was always surprised when I heard those rumors because I know how much fun Andy’s having,” Hunt told The Washington Post’s Nicki Jhabvala. “He in a lot of ways, I think, is rejuvenated by the success the team’s had. Certainly, he’s matched with the quarterback that’s a perfect complement for him in Patrick, and I know he loves what he’s doing. I’m glad we haven’t heard any of those rumors this year, I know for a fact he’s going to be back next year. So we’ll get there when we get there, but I think Andy loves what he’s doing and is going to do it for a long time.”
Even old coaches have chimed in on this matter. Former Chiefs coach and Super Bowl winner Dick Vermeil said there’s no chance Reid retires after this season.
“I know him well,” Vermeil told TMZ. “He is not finished at all.”
What does Andy Reid’s future look like?
Andy Reid will be the head coach of the Kansas City Chiefs for at least the immediate future. Though there is some uncertainty about his long-term standing, it’s safe to assume that he will coach Kansas City through the end of the 2025-26 campaign.
To be fair, I don’t think anybody would have been shocked if Reid announced his retirement after Sunday’s game, especially if the Chiefs win. Not only would he retire as a Super Bowl champion, but he would also become the first coach in NFL history to win three consecutive Lombardi Trophies.
Even before this Sunday, Reid is a Hall of Famer. The man has been a head coach for 26 seasons and has only had a losing record three times. As a matter of fact, he has more Super Bowl appearances in his head coaching career than he has losing seasons. Also, his 301 career regular-season and playoff wins are the fourth-most of all time behind only Don Shula, George Halas, and Bill Belichick.
There is no doubt that Andy Reid will be enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame whenever he decides to give up head coaching duties. But, why would he want to stop coaching now?
Since the start of the 2022 season, the Kansas City Chiefs have been the best team in the NFL. They also show no signs of slowing down with Patrick Mahomes still under contract for at least another three years and Travis Kelce reaffirming his commitment to playing. Between Reid, Kelce, and Mahomes, Kansas City’s core will be intact for another couple of years, which means they’ll be competing for championships during that time.
If the Chiefs were a bottom-feeder team, then Reid would be more tempted to leave the NFL. However, the Chiefs are still vying for Super Bowls on an annual basis. If you’re still in a position to win the Super Bowl, ride that momentum until the wheels fall off. Hell, we could be talking about five-time Super Bowl champion Andy Reid two years from now.