Running on Fumes: Andy Reid Isn’t Walking Away from a Battered Chiefs Roster

It was another brutal Sunday for Kansas City. Dropping a 26-9 stinker to the lowly Tennessee Titans pushed the Chiefs to a 6-9 record, officially cementing their first losing campaign since 2012. It’s also the first time Andy Reid has been stuck with a below-.500 mark since he took the reins back in 2013.

But if fans were sweating the idea that the 67-year-old head coach might just wash his hands of this injury-plagued nightmare, they can finally exhale. According to a Sunday report from NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero, Reid isn’t going anywhere. People close to the legendary coach say he’s given zero indication he plans to retire. Instead, he’s expected to hold off on hanging up the clipboard for at least another year, ready to take advantage of a rare full offseason to recharge the batteries and steady the ship.

“Nobody likes to lose in this business,” Reid admitted after the game. “But my hat goes off for the guys that put together all these years. That’s part of it. We can learn from it and need to do that going forward. Sometimes a good kick in the tail there helps you, coaches and players.”

Right now, that kick in the tail feels more like a full-blown crisis, especially under center. The quarterback room is an absolute MASH unit. Patrick Mahomes is already shut down with season-ending ACL and LCL injuries—a devastating blow for the face of the franchise, who still managed to drop a cool $1 million on Christmas gifts for his teammates this week.

“Don’t know why this had to happen,” Mahomes shared online following the diagnosis. “And not going to lie it’s hurts. But all we can do now is Trust in God and attack every single day over and over again. Thank you Chiefs kingdom for always supporting me… I Will be back stronger than ever.”

As if losing QB1 wasn’t enough, Gardner Minshew, who had stepped up to replace Mahomes, was knocked out of the Titans game with a knee injury of his own. That forced Kansas City to scrape the bottom of the depth chart, burning the glass on third-stringer Chris Oladokun. The 2022 seventh-rounder (No. 241 overall), who bounced around South Florida, Samford, and South Dakota State in college, actually held his own in relief. He completed 11 of 16 passes for 111 yards and an 88.3 passer rating. Still, life behind a patched-together offensive line is rough; he ate four sacks for a loss of 44 yards.

Looking toward 2026, the rest of the roster feels like it’s holding its breath. Travis Kelce has promised to ride out the final two games of the regular season, but the veteran tight end hasn’t committed to lacing up his cleats next year. A retirement announcement wouldn’t shock anyone at this point. If Kelce walks, GM Brett Veach will likely be gearing up for one of his signature roster reboots to drag the team out of the mud.

The sidelines are probably going to look completely different, too. Offensive coordinator Matt Nagy opted against signing an extension this past offseason, making him a looming free agent. Nagy is expected to be a hot name on the head coaching circuit or, at the very least, a highly sought-after play-caller somewhere else. If he bounces, Reid will be hunting for a new OC. Keep an eye on a couple of familiar faces—Giants interim head coach Mike Kafka or even a reunion with Eric Bieniemy could easily be in play.