Don’t look now, but Andy Reid’s résumé is becoming more impressive with each successful season for the Kansas City Chiefs.
So much so that Colin Cowherd couldn’t help but wonder Wednesday on FOX Sports 1 whether Reid someday might challenge Bill Belichick for the honor of greatest coach in NFL history.
Reid won his first Super Bowl title as a head coach last season. Belichick’s jewelry collection includes six rings as head coach of the New England Patriots. Obviously, Reid has significant ground to cover.
But the Chiefs, who will face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers next Sunday in Super Bowl LV, look like a potential dynasty, thanks in large to Reid and franchise quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
What if Kansas City wins two, three or four more titles over the next decade? It’s not outside the realm of possibility.
And Reid’s track record without Mahomes already was impressive, whereas Belichick’s success has come exclusively with Tom Brady under center.
“Andy Reid will have (been to) five NFC championships (as head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles) without Mahomes. Andy Reid will have gotten to a Super Bowl without Mahomes. Andy Reid will have won with five, six different quarterbacks. Belichick’s won with one,” Cowherd said, examining a hypothetical world in which the Chiefs continue to compile Lombardi Trophies under their current coach. “Andy Reid has given, more than any coach, Belichick trouble. Andy Reid, not Belichick, is the best off a bye. Andy Reid, once he got his great quarterback, Belichick couldn’t compete in his final years.
“Andy Reid is the one guy left in this sport that can penetrate the impenetrable Belichick shield as the best coach ever.”
Of course, it’s one thing to say Reid and the Chiefs are capable of turning the GOAT argument into a legitimate debate. It’s another thing entirely to actually make good on that potential, especially as new superstars enter the NFL and the league’s landscape inevitably changes.
Plus, while Reid, 62, is six years younger than Belichick, 68, it’s anyone’s guess how long each will continue coaching. Who’s to say both won’t soon ride off into the sunset, rendering this discussion useless?
That said, the Chiefs are showing no signs of slowing down with Reid calling the shots, while Belichick is left searching for answers after a disappointing 2020 season in wake of Brady’s departure.
“Andy Reid is 62, is still the most clever coach in the league, and he ain’t leaving. You’re gonna have to pull him out of that city with Mahomes — 8, 10 years left,” Cowherd said. “He knocks four or five Super Bowls down — one in two Sundays — is he the greatest ever? Just a thought.”
A thought worth considering?
