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Andy Reid has spent almost his entire adult life as a coach. For more than the last quarter century, Reid has patrolled the sideline as an NFL head coach, first guiding the Philadelphia Eagles and now leading the Kansas City Chiefs.
Reid cemented his legacy in Kansas City with three Super Bowl titles, but his age, Patrick Mahomes’ season-ending ACL injury and the uncertainty surrounding Travis Kelce’s future have fueled speculation that he could retire as early as 2026.
Despite those factors, including the fact that the Chiefs missed the playoffs for the first time since 2014, Reid confirmed his plans to return to the sideline in 2026. “I mean, I think I’m going to come back, right?” Reid said jokingly during a call with local reporters Tuesday.
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Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid reacts to a touchdown during the second half against the Chicago Bears at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium on August 22, 2024 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Jay Biggerstaff/USA TODAY Sports)
“If they take me back, I’ll come back. You never know in this business. It’s hard. But I plan on it, yeah.”
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Reid, 67, is used to answering questions about his future in February, after the Chiefs have played in the Super Bowl, which they have done in each of the last three years. But he’s less familiar with facing those questions in the waning days of December, a time when the Chiefs have been routinely preparing for a postseason run.
Kansas City Chiefs coach Andy Reid emerged victorious, holding the Vince Lombardi Trophy after winning the game against the San Francisco 49ers at Hard Rock Stadium. Miami Gardens, Florida. (John W. McDonough/Sports Illustrated/Getty Images)
Kansas City is 6-10 as it prepares for Sunday’s season finale against the Las Vegas Raiders.
Reid, who reportedly signed a five-year, $100 million extension with the Chiefs in April 2024.
Reid has 307 total wins. He needs 18 to pass George Halas for third place on the NFL career list behind Belichick and Don Shula. While Reid’s return to the bench seems likely, the continuity of the rest of the coaching staff remains less certain. Matt Nagy, who is in his second stint as the Chiefs’ offensive coordinator, is in the final year of his contract.
Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid speaks during a news conference before an NFL football game against the Los Angeles Chargers in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Thursday, Sept. 4, 2025. (Fernando Llano/AP Photo)
Shortly before Mahomes underwent surgery to address damage to his ACL and left lateral ligament, Reid expressed confidence in the quarterback’s mentality regarding his rehab approach.
“He’s going to attack it, like he does everything else,” Reid said of Mahomes’ upcoming rehab. “There have been some pretty good quarterbacks who have had the same injury, and they’ve done pretty well after they come back. He’ll recover and he’s got good people here to rehab him. He’ll be on top of all that.
“As long as the surgery goes well, as expected, then I would expect a pretty quick recovery for him just because of those factors.”
Kelce faced questions about his retirement last season. It sparked more questions about his NFL future after he became less definitive about his 2025 playing prospects following the Chiefs’ loss to the Eagles in February’s Super Bowl.
But a couple of weeks later, ESPN host Pat McAfee revealed that Kelce sent him a message confirming that he would return in 2025, which read: “I’ll definitely be back.”
