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.
Via 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 essential 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 sport till Reid’s sixth season in Kansas Metropolis, and because the Chiefs turned that nook, they haven’t seemed again. They’ve received the AFC West division 9 consecutive years and Reid hasn’t misplaced a postseason sport because the 2021 AFC Championship to the Bengals.
There was an opportunity assembly alongside the way in which — 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 received their first Tremendous Bowl after the 2019 season.
That is not high of thoughts for Reid this week, in keeping with Mahomes. He stated Reid has tunnel imaginative and prescient. A sizzling matter through 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 stated. “I feel 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 grow to be the primary group in league historical past to win three consecutive Tremendous Bowls — the questions will begin quick and livid. Reid shall be searching for that historic win in opposition to his former group, 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 will even be over midway to Tom Brady’s seven Tremendous Bowl wins.
“I feel you all the time wish to depart a legacy and make your imprint on historical past, however greater than something, you simply wish to accomplish a aim that you’ve got along with your teammates,” Mahomes stated. “Once you begin (coaching camp) in St. Joe, your aim is to win the Tremendous Bowl. We all know it is a laborious course of, we all know it is a laborious week in and week out, however I am happy with how our guys have went about that course of. We all know it isn’t going to be simple, this group we’re taking part in is a extremely good soccer group, however we will go on the market and put our greatest effort on the market and play as a group. Hopefully, that is sufficient to get a win.”
Earlier than the season and whereas wading by way of questions and rumors about retirement, Reid signed a brand new pact that runs by way of 2029 and made him the league’s highest-paid coach. With win No. 18 of the season this week, Reid might be simply 22 shy of George Halas (324) for third on the NFL’s all-time wins listing.
And by Sunday evening, Reid might 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 report six rings. Belichick received 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 deal with enterprise,” Reid stated 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 will help you is that you just focus in and take care or enterprise right this moment whereas we’re doing our practices or within the conferences we’ve got right this moment. Care for that and the whole lot else you let the chips fall the place they might.”
–Subject Stage Media
