Getty Former Kansas City Chiefs running back Jamaal Charles talked Andy Reid, Patrick Mahomes and Clyde Edwards-Helaire in a recent interview with Pickswise.
The argument could be made that Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid is one of the greatest of all time.
He may only have one Super Bowl ring but he recently became the first NFL coach to win 100 games with two different franchises. Big Red currently holds a 231-134-1 record after the Chiefs victory over the Los Angeles Chargers on Thursday night in Week 15.
That yields a winning percentage of .633 overall. With Kansas City, that number rises to .711%.
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Jamaal Charles Praises Big Red
In an interview with Pickswise, Chiefs legendary running back Jamaal Charles was asked about Reid’s strengths and what makes him so successful.
“He communicates so effectively and is a players’ coach. Once you make a bad play, he doesn’t yell at you or get on you about it. He forgets about it and moves on to the next play. He has faith in his players that allowed me to play more relaxed and confident rather than worrying about making a mistake. He brings the best out of every player and knows how to utilize everyone’s skill set.”
Who said all the NFL’s top head coaches are tough as nails? Don’t get me wrong, Reid can be imposing when he needs to be but Charles highlighted his compassionate nature toward his players as his greatest attribute.
Charles also noted that Big Red has a short memory when it comes to mistakes, and that keeps his guys playing loose. When you watch someone like Travis Kelce or Tyreek Hill having fun in this offense, you can tell that mindset does impact on-field product.
“Andy is the best coach I ever played for,” the 11-year veteran added. High praise from a four-time Pro Bowler and two-time All-Pro.
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More From Charles on Mahomes & Edwards-Helaire
Later in the interview, Pickswise asked Charles if he ever doubted that Patrick Mahomes’ “ability to quickly find his groove” after the rocky start.
“I never had a doubt Mahomes would find his groove again,” voiced the former running back. “There is a reason the Chiefs signed him to a 10-year deal, and that is because he is a generational talent. And when you pair Mahomes with one of the best coaches ever, you know they will always find a way to win.”
Many ridiculed the KC signal-caller for turning the ball over early in the season but those who have are now hard to find. Clearly, Charles wasn’t one of them.
He also had some kind words for the current Chiefs’ lead-rusher, Clyde Edwards-Helaire.
Charles stated: “I think Clyde has done a great job so far in Kansas City. With Andy Reid as [his] coach, I know he will continue to improve each week and get more comfortable in the offense. I believe he will be a great running back in KC for a long time.”
So far, CEH has just under 1,300 rushing yards as a Chief (1,715 scrimmage yards). He has a long way to go to catch Charles, who accumulated 7,260 rushing yards and 9,717 all-purpose yards with Kansas City.
His current yards per game average is about 12 lower than the legend’s was with the Chiefs, at 58.8 compared to 70.5 YPG.
Charles told Pickswise that it “meant everything” for him to retire with KC on a one-day contract. He continued: “Kansas City was so great to me for 9 years and to be able to retire a Chief truly was special.”