Reid Addresses State of Chiefs in Wake of Texans Loss

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Travis Kelce sat at his locker in full uniform, head in hands.

Around him, teammates tried to ponder a January without a playoff game, something that hit Arrowhead Stadium like a doomsday asteroid late on Sunday night.

There aren’t enough adjectives in a thesaurus to describe the atmosphere that permeated the Chiefs’ locker room after a 20-10 loss to Houston. Coaches obviously weren’t immune. And in a rare occasion, Andy Reid on Monday fielded a question about his coaching staff.

“Well, it falls on me first of all,” the head coach said Monday afternoon. “So, our guys will be ready. They'll be ready to go. I think you go through this and kind of re-gather your thoughts, and time is a friend here for you in that area.

“Because you spend a lot of time on this, as you know, getting ready for these games. There's a lot of effort that goes into it. And you should feel that, if you put everything out there and you've come up on the short end. You should feel a sense that, listen, we've got to do better here. And that's not a great feeling.”

patrick mahomes, matt nag — Dec 7, 2025; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) talks to Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Matt Nagy during the second quarter against the Houston Texans at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Amy Kontras-Imagn Images | Amy Kontras-Imagn Images

Unprecedented during Reid's tenure

It’s not a great feeling considering the Chiefs (6-7) are below .500 in December for the first time in Reid’s Kansas City career – since they finished 2012 with a 2-14 record

But unlike that dismal 2012 season, the year before Kansas City brought in Reid and drafted Kelce, the Chiefs are still alive. The Jackson County coroner is waiting by the phone, but the Chiefs are clinging to hope.

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

“But,” Reid continued, referring to his coaching staff, “on the other hand, you go back through this and you still have an opportunity to go. That fires you up. So, you just need a minute here to catch it.

“Now, we don't have the players in today, so they're going through that. We're deep into the Chargers right now. So, as we speak, that's how it rolls.”

steve spagnuol — Aug 9, 2025; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Kansas City Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo against the Arizona Cardinals during a preseason NFL game at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Hope as a motivator

The Chiefs will really be rolling if three things happen over the next seven days, beginning with the Chargers’ Monday night game against Philadelphia.

And in Philadelphia during a lonely December 17 years ago, Reid faced a similar situation.

andy reid, mcnab — December 15, 2008; Philadelphia, PA USA; Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb (5) is congratulated from head coach Andy Reid after McNabb threw touchdown pass in fourth quarter of the 30-10 win over the Cleveland Browns at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images | Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

With a 5-5-1 record after 11 weeks, Reid’s Eagles were not only last in the NFC East, they also were the No. 11 seed in a playoff field that then took only the top six teams. Reid and his staff rallied the Eagles to wins in four of their final five games.

Then, in the playoffs, he had them on the doorstep of a Super Bowl berth before a heartbreaking loss in the NFC championship game at Arizona.

“You hate for it to come down to that,” Reid said Monday, “but I have learned over the years that anything's possible.

“I communicated that to the guys. They were down the dumps after the game. I mean, they put their heart and soul into that thing, and we came up short. But at the same time, you've got to pick yourself up and get yourself going again. And hope is always a good motivator there.”

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