Gauging Where Andy Reid Ranks Heading Into 2026

Andy Reid will be coming back to the Kansas City Chiefs next season. Where does he rank amongst all the head coaches heading into 2026?

Dec 7, 2025; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid is seen on the sideline during the fourth quarter against the Houston Texans at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images | Denny Medley-Imagn Images

The Kansas City Chiefs may have taken a beating during the 2025 season, but there's always a light at the end of the tunnel. Patrick Mahomes is hoping to be back by the start of next season after an ACL tear.

Even if Chris Oladokun has to be their starter for a couple of weeks, he showed that he can be a competent backup. Another hope for the Chiefs' going forward is that Andy Reid will be back on the team, and they have an opportunity to win another Super Bowl with their legendary head coach.

Pitting Him Against His Peers

Dec 25, 2025; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs coach Andy Reid during the second quarter at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images | Denny Medley-Imagn Images

There's no doubt in my mind that Reid is one of the top ten best head coaches in the NFL. He's already a Hall of Famer if he chose to retire; any additional accomplishments are just icing on the cake.

The question then becomes how many head coaches rank higher than Reid heading into 2026. For starters, his team not being in the playoffs will be a strike against him. The six-game skid the Chiefs ended the season on will also be a knock against him, especially with the majority of them being one-score games.

Dec 21, 2025; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid walks to the field against the Tennessee Titans during pre-game warmups at Nissan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images | Steve Roberts-Imagn Images

The greatest scale you can measure a head coach on is what he brings to a team. Reid brings his legendary catalog, but his patented offensive mastery has taken a nosedive from where it was before. The Chiefs' offense has been reduced to relying on Mahomes to bail them out, and the creative play calling and manipulation of defenses are faint.

Matt Nagy's departure may help with that, but I fear a little what an offense taken over entirely by Reid will look like in 2026. With that being said, I believe the offenses of Sean McVay, Ben Johnson, and Kyle Shanahan are all superior to that of Reid at this point. Reid has one of the best quarterbacks in the league at his disposal; there's no reason why their offense should've struggled as much as they have these past two seasons.

Dec 21, 2025; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid watches his team against the Tennessee Titans during the second half at Nissan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images | Steve Roberts-Imagn Images

Reid's prowess extends beyond his offense. Reid's teams are defined by their defense, but that took a massive step back in 2025 as well. This season, DeMeco Ryans, Mike Macdonald, and Mike Vrabel were all better defensive coaches than Reid was.

You can't have Reid lower than the fifth-best head coach in the NFL. His team may not have performed as well this season, but he still has an exceptional mind that sets up the Chiefs for success.

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