Andy Reid has built nothing short of a dynasty with the Kansas City Chiefs, turning them into the NFL’s gold standard in the Patrick Mahomes era. Many believe that if Reid pulls off a three-peat this weekend, he could surpass Bill Belichick as the greatest head coach of all time. And, while Patriots fans would push back on that notion, citing Belichick’s six Super Bowl wins, Andrew Whitworth argues that Reid’s sustained success across multiple teams gives him the edge.
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In the latest episode of the Fitz & Whit show, the former Bengals tackle made a case for Reid’s superiority over Belichick by highlighting his success with different QBs across his Eagles and Chiefs stints.
From Michael Vick to Donovan McNabb to Alex Smith to Patrick Mahomes, Andy Reid has found success with all of them. Yes, Super Bowl wins eluded him before Mahomes, but winning 100 games for two different franchises and making 19 playoff appearances with the Eagles, including a Super Bowl run, truly defines consistent success.
In comparison, Whitworth argued that Belichick’s successful tenure came with only one QB at the helm—Tom Brady. Before the Patriots stint, Belichick’s only coaching rodeo was his forgettable Cleveland Browns stint [1 playoff victory in 4 years].
“I lean to Andy Reid when you start saying the best coach and the reason I say that is because Bill Belichick did it with one quarterback. He’s had no success remotely outside of that. What I appreciate about Andy Reed is name all the quarterbacks and how many times he’s had winning seasons”
But what about the Croatian’s 6 Super Bowl victories to Andy Reid’s 3? For Whitworth, however, sustained dominance is a greater metric to judge greatness than Super Bowl victories.
“You could probably say Bill (is better) just because of the Super Bowls. But what’s more impressive to me? I think it’s pretty freaking impressive that Andy Reid’s been able to be this successful with a ton of different guys at his quarterback position.”
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Truth be told, it’s hard to frame Belichick’s success with Brady as a negative. After all, Brady wasn’t a high-profile trade or a first-round draft pick—he was a sixth-rounder whom everyone passed over. So, credit must go to the former head coach for helping shape Brady’s career.
As far as Belichick’s Cleveland stint goes, yes, it was a failure in all accords. But was Bill’s Browns roster as strong as the Eagles team that Reid inherited? Moreover, one might also argue that it was Belichick’s hard work that laid the foundation for the Ravens’ ensuing success in Super Bowl XXXV.
These arguments are in no way intended to discredit Andy Reid’s caliber or success. However, simplifying Belichick’s career and achievements without the proper nuances does feel wrong. After all, Belichick is one of the few individuals in the NFL who uses both hands to count his Super Bowl rings.
