Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid’s future has become a question mark in recent weeks amid the team’s struggles, but the veteran Super Bowl-winning coach is clear on his intentions for 2026.
Reid, 67, is the second-oldest coach in the league, and his team has taken an uncharacteristic downturn in 2026. Kansas City (6–10) will miss the playoffs for the first time since 2014, Reid’s second season with the team.
The Chiefs last had a losing record in 2012 with a 2–14 mark when Romeo Crennel was head coach and Matt Cassel was the quarterback. Reid, a 27-year coaching veteran, hasn’t had a losing season since 2012, when his Philadelphia Eagles went 4–12, and 2025 will be his fourth losing season overall.
Typically, the Chiefs’ seasons have ended in the Super Bowl or at least the AFC Championship Game. That’s been the case annually since the 2018 season, and the Chiefs have won three Super Bowls in that span.
Next year will bring considerable uncertainty as quarterback Patrick Mahomes recovers from an ACL tear, and tight end Travis Kelce may retire at age 36. The Chiefs will also need to address other issues, such as the offensive line and running back, on an offense that averages 21.9 points per game, 20th in the league.
That said, Kansas City already committed to Reid’s future in 2024 with a five-year, $100 million contract extension through 2029. Reid will have resources to retool the roster, such as a potential top-10 draft pick, but he may have a challenging salary cap situation as the Chiefs sit $39.68 million over the cap for 2026.
Kansas City has a bevy of unrestricted free agents to consider re-signing with limited money. That includes wide receiver Marquise “Hollywood” Brown, defensive end Charles Omenihu, running back Kareem Hunt, safety Bryan Cook, and linebacker Leo Chenal.
Reid has led teams back from a down year before in Philadelphia. After a 5–11 season in 1999, he led the Eagles to five consecutive seasons of 11 wins or more, and that included a Super Bowl appearance. His 2005 team went 6–10, but the Eagles bounced back with a 10–6 record in 2006 and had another five seasons of .500 or better football with three playoff wins in that span.
Reid has an overall career record of 279–156–1 in the regular season and a 28–17 mark in the playoffs, including three Super Bowl wins. With the Chiefs, he has a 149–63 regular season record and an 18–8 playoff mark.
Falling on hard times after a Super Bowl loss, as the Chiefs have, isn’t unheard of in the NFL. It happened to the San Francisco 49ers twice in this decade alone, with losing seasons after Super Bowl losses, but the 49ers (12–4) have bounced back with winning seasons, including this year, with a shot at the No. 1 seed in the NFC Playoffs.
Reid is in the thick of the all-time wins chase for head coaches—his 279 ranks fourth.
He needs 24 wins to pass former longtime New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick, 302, for third place. Reid’s next milestone would be passing Chicago Bears legend George Halas, 318.
It would take another 10 wins to ultimately pass the all-time leader, Miami Dolphins legend Don Shula, who finished with 328 regular season wins. Reid is by far the leader among active head coaches as Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin is second with 192 regular season wins.
Las Vegas Raiders head coach Pete Carroll, 74, the oldest coach in the league, has only 172 career wins, but he also spent a decade in the college coaching ranks with USC in the 2000s.
