Chad Johnson Calls Bluff on Andy Reid’s Claim to Coach “At Least” One More Year

Andy Reid, Cheeseburger Andy, Andy the Walrus. Whatever needling nickname you refer to him by, the jovial head coach of the Kansas City Chiefs will probably take it in stride with a chuckle. He’s pretty secure in himself, as you might imagine. Because of that, he’s been able to dominate the NFL in recent years. However, now that his team is on the brink of an unprecedented feat, he’s playing coy on the topic of retirement. And Chad “Ochocinco” Johnson isn’t having any of it.

During Super Bowl 59 media day, Reid kept everyone on their toes by saying that he would coach “at least” one more year with the Chiefs. The obvious implication is that he’s thinking seriously about retiring after the 2025 campaign. We think Johnson spoke for all of us when he called baloney on that idea.

“I’m not buying that,” he said on Nightcap, asserting that Reid’s star quarterback, Patrick Mahomes, doesn’t believe it either. Johnson added that what Reid has in Kansas City isn’t easily replicated, so even if a few pieces move, the head coach isn’t going anywhere.

“I’m not buying that. I don’t think Patrick Mahomes is buying that. What Andy Reid has the ability to do as the head coach of the Kansas City Chiefs, and do something that’s never been done before. They can run the gauntlet for the next two or three years. Even if Travis Kelce decides to retire. They are so good. Patrick Mahomes is so good, you can just plug and play.”

Ocho hit the nail on the head in terms of the main reason no one is buying any retirement talk from the Walrus: Mahomes. Reid has a generational QB that has shown he can slice through the rest of the league at will like hot butter. Why leave the game when you have the chance to ride Mahomes to a few more titles and a lot more glory?

There is, of course, Reid’s off-the-field health to consider. For all intents and purposes, Reid is as healthy as a clam. But, he is 67 years old, overweight, and his job is about as high-stress as it gets. One could certainly understand if he ever wanted to call it quits, considering all he has already accomplished.

But it’s what’s still out there for him that will keep him trucking for a few more years, according to Ocho. And we agree. Reid isn’t just coaching the Chiefs to history; he’s coaching himself to history on an individual level.

“Man, listen as long as you’ve got that 15 (Mahomes) over there man, the Kansas City Chiefs are basically the Tom Brady and [Bill] Belichick of this era… I’m gonna put myself in Andy Reid’s shoes and understanding, not as a team, but the individual accolades. There are some records that are right there within reach for Andy Reid. I don’t think he steps away from the game until he passes those records.”

Reid is currently sitting at 273 regular season wins, good for 4th on the all-time list. That puts him 30 wins from passing Bill Belichick for 3rd all-time. From there, it’s only 25 more wins to tie Don Shula’s all-time record of 328.

Since Mahomes became his starter, Reid has averaged 12.9 wins a year. That means he will breeze by Belichick in two or three years, and catch Shula in five seasons at the most. By then, he would still be just 72 years old, which is how old Belichick is now.

When you add in postseason wins too, Reid is even closer to the top. He currently sits 4th with 301 wins, just 46 behind Shula’s record 347. He’s averaged about 2.5 playoff wins a year with Mahomes, so that means all in we’re looking at about 15.5 wins a year for Reid. Three more years with deep playoff runs could put him right on Shula’s doorstep.

Three more Super Bowls would also tie Reid with Belichick for the most Super Bowls to an NFL head coach’s name. Cheeseburger Andy also holds the distinction as the only coach ever to win 100 contests with two franchises—and they just so happen to be the two going head-to-head at Super Bowl 59.