There was a time Andy Reid was a sympathetic determine, a champion of the common season seemingly destined to be an all-time bridesmaid on the NFL sideline.
By means of 13 seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles, Reid reached one Tremendous Bowl (2004) and misplaced the NFC Championship Recreation 4 occasions. It is why proprietor Jeffrey Lurie and the Eagles determined one other voice was crucial and fired the coach with probably the most wins in franchise historical past.
Reid, 66, was reborn in Kansas Metropolis, the place he — ultimately — grew to become synonymous with the Tremendous Bowl and have become the all-time wins chief of a second franchise.
The Chiefs did not attain the AFC title recreation till Reid’s sixth season in Kansas Metropolis, and for the reason that Chiefs turned that nook, they haven’t seemed again. They’ve gained the AFC West division 9 consecutive years and Reid hasn’t misplaced a postseason recreation for the reason that 2021 AFC Championship to the Bengals.
There was an opportunity assembly alongside the best way — Reid and a gunslinger from Texas Tech, quarterback Patrick Mahomes — that did not harm the evolution of the Chiefs from doormat to dynasty. The pair gained their first Tremendous Bowl after the 2019 season.
That is not high of thoughts for Reid this week, in keeping with Mahomes. He mentioned Reid has tunnel imaginative and prescient. A scorching subject throughout the open week earlier than heading to New Orleans for Tremendous Bowl LIX and an opportunity at a 3rd Tremendous Bowl victory in a row? Perfecting their snap cadence.
“That is the stuff he focuses on,” Mahomes mentioned. “I believe the one time I’ve heard (Andy Reid) say [three-peat] is to the media everytime you all ask him about it.”
Come Monday and the beginning of the big-game festivities in New Orleans — a backdrop for the Chiefs’ bid to develop into the primary staff in league historical past to win three consecutive Tremendous Bowls — the questions will begin quick and livid. Reid might be in search of that historic win towards his former staff, the Eagles, on Feb. 9.
And Reid, now with 301 victories mixed between the common season and playoffs, and Mahomes — 17-3 within the playoffs and bidding for his fourth Tremendous Bowl ring — are on the verge of including to their shimmering legacies. A fourth Tremendous Bowl ring for Mahomes would put him in a three-way tie for second-most all-time with Joe Montana and Terry Bradshaw.
It could even be over midway to Tom Brady’s seven Tremendous Bowl wins.
“I believe you all the time need to go away a legacy and make your imprint on historical past, however greater than something, you simply need to accomplish a aim that you’ve got together with your teammates,” Mahomes mentioned. “Once you begin (coaching camp) in St. Joe, your aim is to win the Tremendous Bowl. We all know it is a exhausting course of, we all know it is a exhausting week in and week out, however I am pleased with how our guys have went about that course of. We all know it isn’t going to be straightforward, this staff we’re enjoying is a very good soccer staff, however we’ll go on the market and put our greatest effort on the market and play as a staff. Hopefully, that is sufficient to get a win.”
Earlier than the season and whereas wading via questions and rumors about retirement, Reid signed a brand new pact that runs via 2029 and made him the league’s highest-paid coach. With win No. 18 of the season this week, Reid may very well be simply 22 shy of George Halas (324) for third on the NFL’s all-time wins listing.
And by Sunday night time, Reid may have 4 Tremendous Bowl wins as a head coach, tying Steelers coach Chuck Noll for second on the all-time listing and two shy of Invoice Belichick’s file six rings. Belichick gained two extra as an assistant coach and has 333 victories as a head coach, second to Don Shula (347).
“Everyone knows that is on the market however what issues is the way you maintain enterprise,” Reid mentioned of the historic ramifications of one other Tremendous Bowl win in an interview with Wealthy Eisen of the NFL Community this week. “What is going on that can assist you is that you simply focus in and take care or enterprise at the moment whereas we’re doing our practices or within the conferences we’ve at the moment. Care for that and every little thing else you let the chips fall the place they could.”
–Discipline Stage Media
