Sean McVay keeps forcing his way into the conversation, but Andy Reid still sits on the throne.
That was the basic shape of the latest AP preseason coaching poll, where a panel of eight AP pro football writers ranked the league’s top five coaches entering the 2026 season. McVay picked up three first-place votes, Reid got five, and the Rams coach settled into second place. It’s a familiar result, even if other outlets have already pushed McVay to No. 1, including Sharp Football Analytics and PFF.
The AP’s case for Reid leaned on the kind of résumé that still carries serious weight. “Injuries slowed the Chiefs and Patrick Mahomes ended up suffering a season-ending knee injury in Week 15 last season,” wrote the AP. “Reid won more games than any coach in the history of the Eagles before going to Kansas City and doing the same with the Chiefs, along with winning three Lombardis.”
That track record is hard to shake. But McVay’s recent run makes the debate a lot tighter than the voting suggests.
Back in 2022, the Rams stumbled to 5-12, and McVay didn’t get much grace even though Matthew Stafford, Cooper Kupp, and Aaron Donald were all out for half the season. Instead of getting the benefit of the doubt, he got speculation about whether he should walk away. He stayed, and the Rams have since reached the playoffs in each of the last three seasons and are now viewed as Super Bowl favorites.
And if you want the strongest McVay argument, it might be the 2023 season. The Rams weren’t expected to be much of anything, then McVay dragged them from 3-6 into the postseason. That year may have been his best work yet, and it’s a big reason his reputation has climbed.
He’s not perfect, but the growth is obvious. McVay has learned, adapted and kept his team moving.
The numbers back up the eye test, too. Over the last three seasons, the Rams offense has averaged 0.08 EPA per play, which ranks sixth in that span.
The Chiefs sit at 0.05 EPA per play, good for 10th. Even when Kansas City won the Super Bowl in 2023, the offense finished outside the top 10 while Steve Spagnuolo’s defense ranked sixth.
That’s where the conversation gets uncomfortable for Reid. Kansas City has still won, and won big enough to reach two Super Bowls over the last three seasons, but the offense has looked stagnant for much of that stretch.
At some point, the credit shifts toward Mahomes and the defense, and the questions start landing on the head coach. If the Chiefs offense goes through another rough season, Reid may have to answer for more than his reputation.
McVay, meanwhile, keeps showing he can get more out of his roster than most coaches can. Last season, the Rams leaned more heavily on 13 personnel even though it wasn’t installed during training camp. That kind of in-season adjustment is the sort of thing that separates a good coach from a great one.
If McVay wins a second Super Bowl in 2026, the argument gets a lot simpler. He’d almost certainly be the best head coach in the NFL. For now, though, it still looks like a three-man race with McVay, Reid and Kyle Shanahan.
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