Rumors recently began swirling that Reid will retire at the end of the season

Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid speaks at a news conference after a wild-card playoff game against the Miami Dolphins Saturday, Jan. 13, 2024, in Kansas City, Mo.

Charlie Riedel, Associated Press

Rumors recently began swirling that Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid will retire at the end of the season.

On ESPN’s “Get Up” Thursday, Adam Schefter speculated that the reason Bill Belichick wasn’t hired by the Atlanta Falcons was because he’s holding out to be Reid’s successor in Kansas City. The Falcons hired Rams defensive coordinator Raheem Morris as their head coach Thursday.

“If the Chiefs were to win the Super Bowl this year, could that, would that make (Reid) more likely to walk?” Schefter said. “And if he did walk, at that point in time and you’re the Kansas City Chiefs, and Bill Belichick were still sitting out there, would that not be an interesting possibility, if that’s what Andy Reid decided to do? To go take a run at arguably the greatest coach of all time and to replace one legend with another?”

Schefter emphasized that it’s purely speculation and that he doesn’t have any sources telling him Reid is ready to walk away.

“Again, we’re having fun,” he said. “We’re throwing things out there.”

Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio believes “the Chiefs are at least thinking, ‘What will we do if he does (retire)?’” but he said he could see the players demanding the organization to go with former offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy as Reid’s successor.

“I don’t know that Belichick would be a fit there, but there’s only one Patrick Mahomes,” he said on the “Rich Eisen Show” Wednesday. “And if I want to catch Brady and win a Super Bowl (like) he did when he left me, I’ll partner up with the guy that’s determined to catch Brady with seven total in a heartbeat.”

CBS Sports lead NFL reporter Tracy Wolfson shut down speculation, saying that based on what her sources have told her, she “would be very surprised if Reid retired,” especially with two years remaining on his contract.

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Reid is only 65 and is looking for his third Super Bowl ring this season with the Chiefs. With Pete Carroll and Belichick without a head coaching job, Reid is now the oldest active head coach in the NFL, according to CBS Sports.

Reid is still younger than George Halas was when he won his last NFL Championship at age 68 and is younger than the league’s oldest ever head coach, Romeo Crennel, who was 73 when he served as the Texans’ interim head coach.

Reid shut down retirement rumors when asked about it by reporters before the Chiefs’ wild card weekend victory over the Miami Dolphins, according to Arrowhead Report’s Jordan Foote.

“I haven’t even thought about that,” Reid said. “I’m thinking about one thing. I figured that would come up when you guys were asking these questions, because I’m old. But not that old.”