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The Kansas City Chiefs (10-6) face the Los Angeles Chargers (5-11) in Week 18, but the game is meaningless. Kansas City is locked in as the No. 3 seed whether or not they win.
Before kickoff on Sunday, January 7, Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio suggested Chiefs head coach Andy Reid could be considering retirement. While there’s been zero chatter out of Arrowhead that Reid is contemplating the end of his Hall of Fame career, Florio continues to speculate.
“Here we are, closing in on the end of another NFL season. Reid will be 66 in March. It’s fair to once again ask whether he’ll return for another year,” Florio wrote. “He hasn’t said anything publicly about it, yet. It would be foolish for the team and members of the current coaching staff and potential external candidates to replace Reid to not be considering the possibility — unless and until there’s definitive word from Reid that he’s returning for 2024.”
Florio suggests it’s possible Reid has already made up his mind. “It’s (also) possible the decision will hinge on whether the Chiefs make another run deep into the postseason, perhaps back to the Super Bowl. It’s possible that the players needs to realize this might be it for Reid, in order to access the motivation to have things finally fall together in a way that, to date, they haven’t — especially offensively.
“Regardless, as we pay attention to the various places where an involuntary coaching change is expected as soon as tonight, it’s important to have on the radar screen a small blip as to the possibility that Big Red will pack up his Hall of Fame credentials, his two Super Bowl wins, and walk off into the sunset.”
Chiefs Fans & Analysts Strongly Reacted to Florio’s Speculation
Six to eight head coaching positions are expected to open up after the regular season concludes, per CBS Sports. However, it would be a shock if Reid vacated his job in Kansas City this year. The bulk of Chiefs analysts rebuked Florio’s speculative report.
AtoZ Sports’ Charles Goldman posted on X, “When rumors about a potential retirement of #Chiefs HC Andy Reid kicked up ahead of Super Bowl LV, I was told by someone close to him that so long as he’s healthy, having fun, & allowed to do things his way, he’d keep coaching. A lot can change in a couple of years, but I still believe that all to be true.”
KC Sports Network’s Kent Swanson simply wrote, “I would be very surprised if Andy Reid retired.” Arrowhead Pride’s Pete Sweeney posted, “This talk is always strange. Reid is six years younger than Bill Belichick and all anyone can talk about is his next gig.”
A Chiefs fan account responded, “This is kind of depressing to think about tbh. KC keeps things close to their chest so a shocking retirement out of the blue could happen I suppose. However, I don’t see why he’d step away after this year. Doesn’t make much sense.”
One fan posted, “He’s still the best coach/offensive mind in the league, that defense is legit. No way he retires.”
Andy Reid Is Resting the Bulk of His Starters Against the Chargers in Week 18
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GettyChiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and tight end Travis Kelce at Gillette Stadium on December 17, 2023.
Due to the Week 18 matchup having zero consequences on the postseason, Reid announced that quarterback Patrick Mahomes will not play against the Chargers. Instead, backup quarterback Blaine Gabbert will get the start.
On Friday, Kadarius Toney (hip/ankle), Donovan Smith (neck), and L’Jarius Sneed (calf) were ruled out. At the time, Reid was still mulling over three key starters, all of whom must play in Week 18 to reach a personal milestone: tight end Travis Kelce, defensive tackle Chris Jones, and running back Isiah Pacheco.
Kelce is 16 yards away from notching his eighth consecutive season with over 1,000 yards. “Nothing finalized yet,” Reid said of letting Kelce play. However, Reid ultimately chose not to take the risk with the All-Pro tight end. Kelce was listed as inactive for Sunday’s game. Defensive end Mike Danna and tackle Donovan Smith are also out.
As for Pacheco, he’s 65 yards away from recording his first season with over 1,000 yards. “Yeah, there’s a chance of that,” Reid said of the second-year running back. While it’s unclear how many snaps Pacheco will take, he is active against the Chargers.
Reid didn’t specifically comment on whether Jones will play on Friday, but he was not ruled out. The veteran earns a $1.25 million bonus if he records 10 sacks this season. Thus far, Jones has tallied 9.5 sacks.
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