After a decade of dominance, the Kansas City Chiefs are facing a rare and sobering offseason. Their playoff streak, which had stood tall since 2014, came to a halt following a 16-13 loss to the Chargers earlier this month. And if the final score wasn’t painful enough, the injury to Patrick Mahomes-an ACL tear that will sideline him for a significant stretch of 2026-was the gut punch that truly defined the night.
Naturally, the fallout has sparked questions. Chief among them: Is this the end of the road for Andy Reid?
According to reports from league insiders, the answer is a firm no. Reid, who has been the architect of Kansas City’s modern golden era, isn’t ready to walk away.
In fact, a source close to the coach reportedly summed it up best: *“Coach Reid ain’t going out like this.” * Another source echoed the sentiment simply: *“He’ll be back.”
And why wouldn’t he be? Since arriving in 2013, Reid has transformed the Chiefs into one of the NFL’s premier franchises.
Three Super Bowl titles, multiple AFC West crowns, and over 300 wins later, his legacy is already cemented. But Reid, ever the competitor, clearly sees unfinished business-even after a season that didn’t go to script.
That said, there could still be changes coming to the Chiefs’ coaching staff. Offensive coordinator Matt Nagy, who returned to Kansas City after a stint as head coach in Chicago, is reportedly on his way out.
He declined to sign a contract extension, signaling that his time with the team may be coming to a close. If so, that’s a significant shift for a team that’s leaned heavily on continuity during its run of success.
Meanwhile, the uncertainty doesn’t end on the sideline. Travis Kelce’s future is also up in the air.
At 36, Kelce has already flirted with retirement once-after last season’s Super Bowl loss-and the conversation has resurfaced in the wake of this year’s disappointment. When asked directly about his plans, Kelce didn’t offer a clear answer. Instead, he chose to keep the focus on the present.
“I think I would rather just keep the focus of the media and everything on this team right now,” Kelce said. “All the conversations I have with the team and everything moving forward will be with them.”
He acknowledged the weight of the moment: “I think it's a unique time in my life... I got three games left and I know when the season ends this year, typically we go into it and we don't know when it's gonna end and that's the beauty of it.”
In other words, Kelce isn’t tipping his hand. But the writing might be on the wall.
Statistically, it’s been a down year by his lofty standards. Through 14 games, Kelce has 797 receiving yards and five touchdowns.
Solid numbers for most tight ends-but for a player who’s redefined the position, it’s a noticeable dip. He’s on pace to narrowly surpass his career-low of 823 yards, set just last season, and unless he finishes strong, he could fall short of 90 receptions for the first time since 2017.
Right now, he sits at 67 catches, needing to average 7.6 per game over the final three contests to hit that mark. He’s only reached seven catches in a game three times all season.
The numbers tell part of the story, but the eye test has been just as telling. Kelce has had more drops and miscues than we’re used to seeing. He’s still a weapon-especially with Gardner Minshew now under center-but the explosiveness and consistency that once made him nearly unguardable have started to fade.
That’s not to say he can’t still contribute. Even a diminished Kelce is better than most tight ends in the league. But with Mahomes sidelined for much of next season, and the team in transition, this could be the moment Kelce decides to step away.
For now, though, his focus remains on closing out the season the right way.
“Just trying to make sure that everyone here knows I'm focused on trying to win football games these last three games,” he said.
The Chiefs are entering unfamiliar territory-no postseason, a star quarterback recovering from a major injury, and potential turnover on the coaching staff. But if Andy Reid really is staying, and if Kelce has one more run left in him, Kansas City isn’t done yet. The dynasty might be paused-but don’t count on it being over.