KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The third time was the charm.
Andy Reid has been on the cusp of NFL history for three weeks, but the Kansas City Chiefs have left him teetering on the precipice with back-to-back losses.
Since a season-opening win, Reid’s been stuck on 99 total wins with the Chiefs.
But Sunday’s 42-30 romp against the Eagles — a franchise Reid led to 140 wins in 14 seasons from 1999 through 2012, including the playoffs — gave Reid a historic milestone.
He is the first coach in NFL history to lead two different franchises to 100 total wins.
Reid went 130-93-1 with Philadelphia in the regular season and 10-9 in the postseason. He’s now 93-39 within Kansas City during the regular season and 7-6 in the playoffs, including the Super Bowl LIV victory that likely cemented his Hall of Fame candidacy.
“I really hadn’t thought much about it,” Reid said. “Every game is like the last game or the first game, I guess you’d say. But it’s quite a deal, it’s quite an accomplishment. I’ve been lucky to have been around great people — whether it’s coaches, players, ownership. It’s not a one-man show, so I’ve been very fortunate that way.”
Chiefs Chairman and CEO Clark Hunt presented Reid with a game ball in the locker room after the victory to celebrate the achievement.
One of the greatest to ever do it. pic.twitter.com/jnDj5Z6mxu
— Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) October 3, 2021
“No coach has ever done that before,” said running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire. “Being able to come in and help him get that, it’s one of those things that was on my mind.”
It was on all the players' minds, though perhaps not at the forefront given the surprise September struggles.
“We players, we weren’t like, ‘Oh, we’ve got to go get Coach his 100th win,’ we were like, ‘We’ve got to get a win,’” Edwards-Helaire said. “It wasn’t pinpointed, but everybody knew. It isn’t like the whole world didn’t know he was going for his 100th win and we’re playing in Philly.”
Quarterback Patrick Mahomes — who is 39-11 in his NFL career, all with Reid as the head coach — is used to people marveling at him, but he took a moment to marvel instead at Reid’s accomplishment even after a five-touchdown day.
“I think it’s special to him, for sure,” Mahomes said. “Being in Philadelphia, he kind of became Andy Reid, in a sense, in Philadelphia. Now, to be able to go to Kansas City and build what he’s built here and get that 100th win in Philadelphia — obviously, he’s going to keep on going, he has a lot of dreams for this season — but he’ll definitely take in this moment for a second at least.”
Mahomes, who has won an MVP and Super Bowl MVP in his time with Reid, can’t imagine playing for any other coach.
“No offense to Philly, but I’m glad they let him go and he’s coaching us here in Kansas City,” Mahomes said.
Reid said Philadelphia welcomed him back to town for the first time since 2013 with a room full of his favorite treats.
“The people here have been phenomenal since I got here,” he said. “My room was loaded with food. It was good to have a cheesesteak and a lot of other things. It’s good to be back and doing that here.”
Reid wasn’t overly sentimental about the moment, saying he’s “glad it took place and it’s over now, so we can move on” and adding that he “loved every minute” of his time in Philadelphia.
Still, Mahomes hopes he’s remembered more for all that they have and will accomplish together when the final chapter of Reid’s surefire Hall of Fame career ends.
“I think when you look back on it, you’ll know him as a Kansas City Chief,” Mahomes said. “The way he’s able to build up this organization from day one and win, and build up to where we won the Super Bowl and got back to the Super Bowl, and now where we’re at now. He’s building something, and he’ll continue to build it.”
