Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio and ESPN’s Adam Schefter stirred eyebrows in January when they indicated that Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid could retire this winter if his team wins Super Bowl LVIII.
Sean McDonough of ESPN attended Sunday’s AFC Championship Game between the Chiefs and the Baltimore Ravens and spoke about Reid’s situation on WEEI’s “The Greg Hill Show.”
“There was some talk about (the rumors), but not a lot,” McDonough said, as reported by Robert O’Neill of Awful Announcing. “It did not appear to be imminent, but where there is smoke, there is also fire. I believe Adam Schefter. I wouldn’t be surprised if Andy is considering it; after all, he is nearing the conclusion of his career. I believe in going out on top, so if he wins and thinks about it, I wonder if it will make him more likely to retire with a Super Bowl triumph.”
Reid, who turns 66 in March, has won the Vince Lombardi Trophy twice since February 2020, and has already sealed his status as an all-time great NFL head coach.
As for who could replace him, former New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick appears to be available until at least February 11 and would presumably love to lead a championship-caliber roster given that he is 15 wins away from setting a new NFL record for career victories earned by a head coach (regular season and playoffs combined).
“Whether Bill winds up there or not, wow, that would be a lot,” McDonough said about Belichick possibly taking Reid’s current job later this month. “I would guess that would not happen, but Schefty’s plugged in, that’s for sure. So, who knows.”
It’s often said that nobody “wants to be the guy who replaces the guy” who is a franchise legend. Belichick is a six-time Super Bowl champion head coach and, thus, likely wouldn’t feel the pressure that would come with filling Reid’s shoes as would a young offensive coordinator.
One thing that seems certain is that whispers linking Belichick with the Chiefs will seemingly hover over the franchise through Super Bowl LVIII regardless of what Reid says about his future before the second Sunday of the month.
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