Ranking Chiefs Andy Reid and the 8 Best AFC Head Coaching Performances in 2024

Chiefs HC Andy Reid has reigned supreme over the AFC for years, but teams are always trying to eclipse him. Let's see how others stack up after the 24' season

Feb 9, 2025; New Orleans, LA, USA; Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid before Super Bowl LIX against the Philadelphia Eagles at Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The 2024 NFL Season was filled with dramatics, strong performances, and questionable coaching decisions. Here are the eight head coaches in the AFC that didn't leave much to doubt. Rankings will be based on record, record in response to the talent on roster, and how the coach improved or failed their team from the previous season.

1. Andy Reid, Kansas City Chiefs. Super Bowl runner-up. Despite the loss, 2024 might have been Reid's best coaching job yet, considering the age of Travis Kelce and the injury to Rashee Rice.

2. Jim Harbaugh, Los Angeles Chargers. In Harbaugh's first year in Los Angeles, he turned a five-win team into a championship contender despite massive issues with cap space and the departure of two top wide receivers.

3. Sean Payton, Denver Broncos. Despite having a massive dead cap due to releasing Russell Wilson, Payton once again worked his QB magic with rookie Bo Nix to end a decade-long playoff drought for the Broncos. Now it's easy to see why Payton loved Taysom Hill because Nix is Hill except he's way more accurate and way more courageous with his decisions as a passer.

4. Sean McDermott, Buffalo Bills. It was another successful AFC East winning season for McDermott and company as Josh Allen won league MVP. However, his inability to defeat Andy Reid in the playoffs prohibits his advancement up this list.

5. John Harbaugh, Baltimore Ravens. Another AFC North winning season sees the legend of Harbaugh grow but the Ravens' inability to succeed in the postseason keeps Harbaugh where he is at in terms of his ranking. Not to stir up the pot but considering their postseason failures, is DC Zach Orr being groomed to take the head coaching job?

6. DeMeco Ryans, Houston Texans. It was a bit of a sophomore slump for Ryans and QB C.J. Stroud as they stumbled into the postseason. However, both men overcame multiple injuries to the WR room plus poor IOL play to win the AFC South, win a playoff game over Los Angeles, and were a few plays away from knocking off Kansas City.

7. Mike McDaniel, Miami Dolphins. The most controversial selection, McDaniel took a massive step back as a head coach in 2024. However, QB Tua Tagovailoa suffered what could have been a career-ending history and the fact that GM Chris Grier has ruined their offensive line gives McDaniel some grace. McDaniel and Grier need to get their stuff together because the Dolphins have way too many immature individuals within the facility but it would be understandable if McDaniel doesn't want to ruffle feathers as the last man who had a power struggle with Grier lost and was subsequently fired.

8. Mike Tomlin, Pittsburgh Steelers. Another year, another winning season, and another season with no success in the postseason. Before you criticize me for Tomlin's rank, hear me out. Since the 2018 NFL season, every team in the AFC North has participated in a divisional round game...except Pittsburgh. That includes the Browns. The team ran the same defense in 2024 that they used against a Jaguars team led by Blake Bortles in the 2018 NFL playoffs that hung 45 points on them. It's hard to elevate Tomlin when the Steelers exited the 2024 season with five straight losses, four of them by double-digits including a beatdown in the playoffs by the rival Ravens and they once again have no answer to the QB position.

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