Why Reid Waiting Could Be a Good Thing for Chiefs

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Both Detroit and Tampa Bay are hard at work interviewing candidates for their offensive-coordinator vacancies.

Washington has already made its hire, and the Chiefs seem not to even know whether they’ll be in the market – awaiting Matt Nagy’s fate as he interviews for head-coach roles with four teams.

lafleur jordan lov — Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love (10) high fives head coach Matt LaFleur after throwing a touchdown pass during the second quarter of their game against the Chicago Bear Sunday, January 7, 2024 at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin.Mark Hoffman/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel | Mark Hoffman / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Path No. 5

As hot candidates receive requests and log onto their virtual interviews, Andy Reid’s patience could pay off.

In addition to the four paths his offensive-coordinator decision could take, Path No. 5 has yet to surface – although it might be rocketing like a missile launched from a submarine.

Matt LaFleur has won 79 games in seven seasons (2019-25) as Packers head coach. But Green Bay dropped a 31-27 playoff game in disappointing fashion on Saturday night, blowing a 21-3 lead. And with John Harbaugh getting ready to kick off a week of serious interviews, the Packers may want to enter the fray.

andy reid, matt lafleu — Aug 29, 2019; Green Bay, WI, USA; Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid and Green Bay Packers head coach Matt LaFleur talk before preseason game at Lambeau Field. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images | Benny Sieu-Imagn Images

If that happens and the Packers do move on from LaFleur, Reid’s patience could be rewarded. The Chiefs head coach said Monday he wasn’t in a hurry to make any moves regarding his offensive coordinator, noting he had internal and external candidates.

And if LaFleur becomes an external candidate for Reid, that likely won’t happen for a few weeks. LaFleur certainly would interview for many of the vacant head-coach roles before settling for offensive-coordinator openings.

aaron rodger — Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (12) and quarterback Jordan Love (10) listen to head coach Matt LaFleur during the fourth quarter of their game Sunday, December 4, 2022 at Soldier Field in Chicago, Ill. The Green Bay Packers beat the Chicago Bears 28-19. | Mark Hoffman / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

LaFleur won 13 games each of his first three seasons (2019-21) but his offenses haven’t consistently ranked among league leaders in either points or yards. Under LaFleur, the Packers’ two best scoring seasons were 2020, when they ranked first, and 2024, when they were eighth.

This past season, Green Bay ranked 16th in points and 15th in yards per game.

LaFleur has won with his backup quarterbacks, unlike Chiefs

But LaFleur combined with Mahomes could be something special.

And if ever Mahomes can’t start – perhaps as early as the beginning of the 2026 season as the quarterback returns from Dec. 15 knee surgery – LaFleur has proven successful with backup quarterbacks.

patrick mahome — Green Bay Packers linebacker Lukas Van Ness (90) sacks Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) during their football game Sunday, December 3, 2023, at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wis. | Dan Powers/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin / USA TODAY NETWORK

While Mahomes backups are only 2-8 over his eight seasons as a starter (2018-25), LaFleur has successfully navigated the transition from future Hall of Famer Aaron Rodgers to first-round draft choice Jordan Love.

And without Love, LaFleur won both games with Malik Willis in 2024 and got another strong effort from him two weeks ago.

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