New Head Coaches, Playcallers All Over Chiefs’ 2026 Schedule

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The Chiefs’ run of 10 straight playoff berths, three consecutive Super Bowls and eight division titles is even more impressive considering what just happened in the NFL.

Andy Reid has annually had to balance doing what the Chiefs do best with new wrinkles to keep defenses guessing. And with owners seemingly as impatient as ever, the fact that Reid has kept the Chiefs in prime contention every year is remarkable.

reid, mahome — Feb 11, 2024; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid with quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) against the San Francisco 49ers during Super Bowl LVIII at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

“You just got to dive deep into that scheme evaluation,” Patrick Mahomes said Jan. 15, asked about what went wrong in 2025, “and see what teams are seeing against us. I think the one part about having so much success is teams watch a lot of film on you, and so they try to do game plans of how to combat what you do and what you've done well.”

The clock hit midnight, however, for Reid and the Chiefs in 2025. They became the most predictable offense in the league and paid a steep price, the end of those impressive postseason streaks. Their 6-11 record was the team’s first losing mark since Clark Hunt hired Reid, snapping a string of 12 straight winning seasons.

chiefs brashard smit — Jan 4, 2026; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Kansas City Chiefs running back Brashard Smith (24) is tackled by Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Shedrick Jackson (4) and cornerback Decamerion Richardson (25) during a kick return in the fourth quarter at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images | Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

“And you saw that this year,” Mahomes said, “where teams were very conscious of them, the plays that we've hit for a long time. And so, we have to find ways to counteract that, and kind of go out, go at teams and be able to utilize that and make more explosive plays.”

That’ll be harder this year, though, because 10 teams fired head coaches, creating the most openings during one hiring cycle in 20 years. The 10 vacancies, which reportedly will become official when Klint Kubiak agrees to terms with the Raiders following next Sunday’s Super Bowl, tied the single-season record (also 1978, 1997 and 2006).

And that’s bad news for the Chiefs because the coaching-staff turnover falls heavily on Kansas City’s 2026 opponents. In other words, Reid and Steve Spagnuolo will have a lot more tape to watch to prepare for those games. New head coaches usually mean new playcallers, either on offense, defense or both.

Games against new head coaches on Chiefs schedule (6)

Two games against the Raiders (Kubiak), and single dates against Arizona (Mike LaFleur), Atlanta (Kevin Stefanski), Buffalo (Joe Brady) and Miami (Jeff Hafley).

Games against new offensive playcallers on Chiefs schedule (9)

Two games against both the Chargers (Mike McDaniel) and Raiders (Kubiak), and one game each against the Cardinals (LaFleur), Jets (to be determined), Falcons (Stefanski), Dolphins (Bobby Slowik) and Seahawks (to be determined).

Games against new defensive playcallers on Chiefs schedule (8)

Two games against both the Raiders (to be determined) and Chargers (Chris O’Leary), and single contests against the Cardinals (to be determined), 49ers (Raheem Mostert), Bills (Jim Leonhard) and Dolphins (Hafley).

jeff hafle — Jan 22, 2026; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; Miami Dolphins head coach Jeff Hafley meets with his wife and daughters after his introductory press conference at Baptist Health Training Complex. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

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