Andy Reid has hinted NFL retirement is on the horizon after being confronted with worries about who might eventually replace Patrick Mahomes.
Reid, 68, signed a five-year, $100million extension as Chiefs head coach in April 2024. And while he enters the new season determined to lead the Chiefs back to the Super Bowl, one thing not on his mind is finding a new quarterback.
Mahomes, 30, is entering his tenth season in the NFL and when asked about what his future holds on Monday, Reid replied: ‘I don’t worry about it because he’ll be here a lot longer than I am.’
The Chiefs made some quarterback moves over the offseason, drafting Garrett Nussmeier from LSU in the seventh round and trading for Justin Fields from the New York Jets.
But Mahomes remains at the forefront of the Chiefs’ prospects after making a rapid recovery from a torn ACL suffered in December and being fully cleared entering training camp.
Reid faced questions over his future at the end of last season after the Chiefs’ season ended in disappointment by failing to make the NFL playoffs for the first time since 2012.
Andy Reid admits he will be retired long before the Chiefs need to replace Patrick Mahomes
Mahomes is preparing for his 10th NFL season under Reid’s guidance in Kansas City
While the annual questions the veteran coach faces took place in December rather than February last year, Reid insisted he had no thoughts about stepping away.
‘I mean, I think I’m coming back, right?’ Reid told reporters on a video call. ‘If they’ll have me back, I’ll come back. You never know in this business. That’s a tough one. But I plan on it, yeah.’
Mahomes, meanwhile, has also insisted he has no plans of retiring any time soon, pointing to the inspirations of Tom Brady and LeBron James in terms of longevity at the highest level.
Mahomes told Sports Illustrated last year: ‘It started with Tom and LeBron [James]—you can play longer.
‘I think, for me, as long as I can play, and have fun, and my family’s enjoying it, I’ll play. I don’t want to take away from my family.
‘My kids are still young, but they’re getting older, and they love coming to the football games; they love being there. And the one good thing – compared to baseball, like when I grew up, my Dad was always gone – with football, you have a home city.
‘So, hopefully, I can play as long as I keep playing well, and my family is enjoying it.’
But while Mahomes plans to stick around for the foreseeable future, change is coming in Kansas City. His most trusted teammate, Travis Kelce, is nearing the end and insisted he would also retire when Reid calls it a day.
Mahomes suffered a torn ACL last season but has made a rapid recovery
Reid sees a far longer runway for Mahomes than himself as the Chiefs look to rebuild
‘Coach Reid knows how much I love to play for him, how much I love to be a product of his coaching career,’ Kelce said last year.
‘I’m not playing for anybody else but Big Red. If he calls it quits, I’m out there with him, man.’
Reid, however, sees a far longer runway for Mahomes, one which extends far beyond his own days as Chiefs coach.
And he told reporters earlier in training camp that his star man is in good shape after his recovery from injury.
‘Yeah, he looked pretty good today, I thought. Strong,’ Reid said to reporters. ‘You see the strength in his legs, which is important with a leg injury.
‘You kind of look at that first. See how his feet are moving, feet are moving well. So, I thought it was positive. I mean, I thought he looked well.’
