What McDermott’s Termination Means for Chiefs, Reid

Buffalo Bills become third team this month to lose coach initially thought indispensable.

Nov 2, 2025; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott looks on during the second quarter against the Kansas City Chiefs at Highmark Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images | Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Andy Reid has 307 wins, fourth-most in NFL history behind Don Shula, Bill Belichick and George Halas. He’s won three Super Bowls, more than any active NFL head coach.

But as a wise person once said, cemeteries are filled with indispensable people. And the tombstones of seemingly indispensable NFL head-coaching tenures grew to three on Monday morning when the Bills fired Sean McDermott.

Dec 8, 2019; Orchard Park, NY, USA; Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh and Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott shake hands following the game at New Era Field. Mandatory Credit: Rich Barnes-Imagn Images | Rich Barnes-Imagn Images

McDermott follows Baltimore’s John Harbaugh and Pittsburgh’s Mike Tomlin as those who won’t coach their respective 2025 teams next year. All told, 10 teams now have changed head coaches. That ties the single-season record (1978, 1997, 2006 and 2022), according to Josh Dubow.

And including the seven head-coach changes a year ago, more than half the league’s on-field leadership has turned over in 13 months (including the Raiders’ second search in as many cycles).

Dec 21, 2014; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid (left) greets Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin (right) at mid-field after their teams played at Heinz Field. The Steelers won 20-12. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

So, could Andy Reid be coaching his final season in 2026?

“When you talk about these coaches,” insider Adam Schefter said on Monday morning’s edition of Get Up, “owners watch what owners do. And owners have seen them not stand by John Harbaugh. They've seen Mike Tomlin step away. Raheem Morris finishes the season on a four-game winning streak and gets fired. So, nobody, or barely anybody, is safe.

“And when you have a team that has struggled to get to the Super Bowl with the best player in the game, and it's eight seasons in a row and you're going into your new stadium, they felt like it was time.”

Dec 7, 2025; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid walks off the field after the game against the Houston Texans at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Amy Kontras-Imagn Images | Amy Kontras-Imagn Images

One of those owners obviously watching other owners is Kansas City’s Clark Hunt. The last time the NFL had so much instant interest in an established head coach coming off a long tenure with multiple Super Bowl appearances, such as Tomlin and Harbaugh, Hunt quickly locked down Reid after the 2013 season.

Reid brought instant turnaround to a franchise that finished 2-14 in 2012. He reeled off wins in his first nine games as Chiefs head coach, on his way to winning seasons in each of his first 12 years in Kansas City.

Indianapolis Colts running back Donald Brown is crushed between Kansas City Chiefs Justin Houston and Kansas City Chiefs Dontari Poe in the first half of the AFC Playoff game | Matt Detrich/The Star

That streak came to a significant crash in 2025, however. Not only did the Chiefs miss the playoffs for the first time in 11 years, they missed it badly. While other teams dramatically improved their year-over-year records, the Chiefs went from 15-2 in 2024 to 6-11 in 2025.

Whether missing the postseason again in 2026 would lead Hunt to move on from Reid is an intriguing question.

Jan 4, 2026; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Kansas City Chiefs owner Clark Hunt arrives before the game against the Las Vegas Raiders at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Make no mistake. Winning in the NFL is extremely difficult. One of the primary reasons McDermott is no longer head coach in Buffalo, Harbaugh in Baltimore or Tomlin in Pittsburgh, is because none of the three could come close to duplicating what Reid has done with the Chiefs.

But everyone is replaceable, and Reid knows it better than anyone. Asked last month about potentially retiring, Reid left no doubts about his own preference. At the same time, he left no doubts as to who’s in control.

“No, listen, I think I'm coming back, right?” Reid said before a disappointing 14-12 loss to end the season against the Raiders. “If they'll have me back. You never know in this business. So that's, you know, that's a tough one, but I plan on it, yeah.”

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