Andy Reid is 68, already has three Super Bowl titles, and has nothing left to prove. That much is clear in Kansas City. The harder part is looking ahead to the day he decides he’s done and asking the question every successful team eventually has to answer: who takes over next?
For the Chiefs, there isn’t an obvious answer sitting right there on the current staff, at least not one that’s widely known. That stood out again when Jourdan Rodrigue and Mike Jones of The Athletic released their list of the NFL’s top 50 coaches, executives and strategists under 40. Kansas City was nowhere to be found.
That might look like a warning sign at first glance, but it doesn’t have to be. Rodrigue and Jones pointed out, “Not every standout organization is packed with 30-something nominees; in fact, some of the best franchises in football remain so in part because they’ve emphasized continuity and developed talent in-house for many years.” That fits the Chiefs as well as any team in the league.
Kansas City has built its operation around the same kind of stability that has powered its run. The organization has been the most successful in the NFL over the last decade, and that didn’t happen by accident. The front office and coaching staff have been assembled in a way that reflects a clear plan, even if it doesn’t produce an obvious heir apparent for Reid.
And as long as Patrick Mahomes is under center, the Chiefs are going to be in a strong position to attract a head coach who can step in and keep things rolling. It may not be someone with the same profile Reid had when he arrived in 2013, but Kansas City has earned the benefit of the doubt.
So the lack of a young Chiefs name on that list doesn’t need to set off alarms. When Reid eventually walks away, the organization will put itself in the best spot possible, whether that means someone familiar from outside the building or a coach already inside it.
In Other News...
Chiefs Quietly Closed The Door On A Familiar Quarterback Option
The Chiefs have moved on from a familiar face in their quarterback room, waiving Chris Oladokun with an injury designation after a preseason that never really gave him a path back into the picture. Oladokun, who started Kansas Citys final two games last season when injuries thinned the depth chart, had been part of a group that looked far different this summer after the team reworked the position by adding Justin Fields and drafting Garrett Nussmeier.
Oladokuns release leaves him in a holding pattern unless another team steps in, and if he goes unclaimed he will revert to injured reserve. The change also came with a small but telling detail: Nussmeier has already taken over Oladokuns jersey number, a quiet sign that the Chiefs are fully resetting the pecking order behind center after preseason struggles and the concussion protocol complicated Oladokuns push to stick. [Read more 🡒]
Patrick Mahomes Family Situation Could Affect Chiefs Sideline Storyline This Season
Patrick Mahomes Sr. is trying to work his way back onto the road in time to see more of his sons games, filing a motion in Texas court that would let him travel out of state for seven Kansas City Chiefs contests this season. The request comes with a long list of conditions, including urinalysis testing before and after trips, and it still has to clear the court before any plans can be set in stone.
For the Chiefs, it adds another layer to a sideline storyline that already draws attention whenever Patrick Mahomes Jr. takes the field. His father remains on probation with travel restrictions after multiple DWI offenses and violations, so even a simple game-day visit now depends on legal approval. Whether that opens the door to more of those appearances this year is still in the hands of the court. [Read more 🡒]
Chiefs Face Immediate Pressure After Brutal New Playoff Prediction
CBS Sports writer Douglas Clawson has put an uncomfortable spotlight on the Chiefs by predicting they could miss the playoffs this season, a jarring view of a team that has lived at the top of the AFC for years. The concern centers on Kansas Citys offense not producing at its usual level and a defense that slipped enough last year to make the margin for error feel much thinner than it once did.
Patrick Mahomes is expected back from injury, and the Chiefs have tried to steady things with roster moves like signing running back Kenneth Walker III and bringing back offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy. Even so, the path looks crowded in a conference loaded with contenders, which means Kansas City may need Mahomes to be fully right and Bieniemy to get the offense humming quickly to avoid an unexpectedly tense fight just to stay in the bracket. [Read more 🡒]