Why the Chiefs will continue to be successful whenever Andy Reid leaves

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Life, as we know, is full of twists and turns and can take us in directions we never could have imagined.

That rings true for Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid, who actually contemplated being a writer during his college days, where he saw limited action as an offensive tackle.

Things changed during a year as a Graduate Assistant with the Brigham Young University (BYU) Cougars in 1982, a season where Reid frequently asked head coach LeVell Edwards questions about football strategy.

Thankfully for the NFL and the Chiefs, Reid chose coaching, and decades later, his legendary status continues to grow.

The Reid Way

Years of college football coaching prepared Reid for the NFL, beginning with the Green Bay Packers in the early 90s.

Working under Mike Holmgren, Reid became a quick study, tasting a Super Bowl victory with the Packers in 1996 before eventually getting his first head coaching opportunity with the Philadelphia Eagles.

From then on, Reid’s teams have been the model of consistency, with Philly suffering just three losing seasons from 1999 to 2012.

In Kansas City, the Los Angeles native has evolved from a successful regular-season coach to an elite playoff boss.

With five successive trips to the AFC Championship, three Super Bowl appearances, and two world titles, Reid is establishing himself as the greatest coach in Chiefs’ history.

Reid would rival what Bill Belichick and Tom Brady did together in New England if he and the Chiefs remain the dominant team and keep winning.

From the early 2000s until 2018, it was all about the Patriots’ way, but over the past five years, it’s become the Chiefs’ way.

Every successful time frame for teams is a little different, so comparing the Pats to the Chiefs is difficult.

Can’t have one without the other

Belichick and Brady won 17 division titles together and six Super Bowls, redefining how NFL offenses operate.

Without the G.O.A.T, though, Belichick is 27-33 as the Patriots head coach.

The difference is Reid has been successful in both of his head coaching stops, but having Patrick Mahomes helps.

Reid and Mahomes have won the AFC West each of their seasons together with at least one playoff victory each time.

With Mahomes as the starter, Reid and the Chiefs have won 78% of their games, though without the KC pivot, Reid still has a solid winning percentage of 58.3.

There’s a massive difference in success from the Belichick’s coaching tree to Reid’s though.

Bill O’Brien had some strong years as Texans’ head coach, but the rest have been poor, such as Josh McDaniels, Reid’s KC predecessor Romeo Crennel, and Matt Patricia, to name a few.

Reid’s coaching tree, meanwhile, has been the opposite, with Doug Pederson and John Harbaugh winning Super Bowls, while Sean McDermott and Ron Rivera are among the others with successful head coaching stints.

The current Chief’s head coach is 65 years old, and the questions will soon be about whether or when he plans to retire.

When that moment comes, there will be concern about who can achieve the same kind of success Reid has had with the Chiefs.

Patrick Mahomes isn’t going anywhere, and when you add to that the kind of numbers Reid’s understudies have achieved, though, whoever follows in his footsteps should be well-equipped to keep this team winning.