Report: KC Chiefs Head Coach Andy Reid Opening Contract Extension Talks
The Kansas City Chiefs' championship core doesn't apply to just the players, as coaches and front office members have also contributed in major ways. With three members of Andy Reid's staff already inked to contract extensions this offseason, the leader of the group appears to be in line for the same.
According to a Monday morning report from Tom Pelissero of NFL Network, Reid and the Chiefs are "expected to begin" extension talks soon. Pelissero's sources believe Reid's new deal would make him "the highest-paid coach in football."
In Pelissero's article, he says Reid is "believed to rank roughly eighth" among all head coaches in annual average salary. While the 65-year-old's contract isn't public knowledge, several head coaches around the league (per Pelissero) very well could be making $15 million or even higher per year on their respective deals. For someone like Reid, who might be the best at his craft right now, that makes him underpaid and quite deserving of a new contract.
It also doubles or triples down on Reid returning to coach the Chiefs. Despite some retirement speculation leading up to Super Bowl LVIII, the future Hall of Fame head coach addressed that after winning the big game:
"You know, Adam (Teicher), I honestly haven't even thought about it," Reid said. "But I get asked it. I'm still kind of in awe of the game and what went on there, so I really haven't thought [about] why or what or anything else but people keep asking me. I keep saying, 'Why did (Bill) Belichick and Pete (Carroll) retire? Ask those old guys the question. I'm the old guy now, so I guess I'm going to be asked that. I really haven't gone there, I haven't really thought about it."
Reid isn't the only one who might be getting locked up long-term. Pelissero adds that general manager Brett Veach is another candidate who is "in line for a new deal" in the next month or so. Pelissero reports that Veach is "believed to be one of the NFL's lowest-paid GMs," which reflects the pay of his head coach relative to his peers.
In recent years, teams have built a reputation for extending their head coach-general manager duos after a championship win. Kansas City hadn't done so in a while, as 2020 saw the franchise lock up Reid and Veach to extensions back then. With those six-year contracts now on the back portion and the market for both positions changing, expect hefty raises to kick in on the potential updated contracts.
Other business will surely be discussed at the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine, but deals for Reid and Veach could be coming soon. Pelissero suggests the NFL League Meetings, which begin on March 24, as a soft deadline to keep in mind.
