Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid remains one of the NFL’s most respected offensive minds, but a new survey suggests his standing among the league’s best play-callers has slipped ahead of the 2026 season.
In rankings compiled by The Athletic from anonymous NFL defensive coaches and coordinators, Reid fell from fourth to sixth among the league’s top offensive play-callers. The result comes after a disappointing 2025 campaign for the Chiefs, who finished 6-11 and missed the playoffs for the first time since 2014.
Defensive Coaches Still Hold Reid in High Regard
Despite the slight drop, Reid remains firmly among the NFL’s elite offensive coaches.
The survey placed San Francisco 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan first, followed by Los Angeles Rams coach Sean McVay and Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson, with Green Bay’s Matt LaFleur and Jacksonville’s Liam Coen rounding out the top five ahead of Reid.
Reid has built his reputation over more than two decades as one of football’s premier offensive innovators, helping guide the Chiefs to three Super Bowl titles while developing one of the league’s most explosive attacks around quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
Chiefs’ 2025 Struggles Influenced Perception
The rankings follow one of the toughest seasons of Reid’s tenure in Kansas City.
The Chiefs struggled to a 6-11 record after Mahomes suffered a season-ending knee injury, ending a run of sustained success that had seen Kansas City become one of the NFL’s dominant franchises. While Reid’s play-calling remains highly respected, the survey suggests recent results have slightly altered how opposing coaches view the Chiefs’ offence.
Athlon Sports noted that Reid’s drop in the rankings likely reflects the roster challenges Kansas City faced rather than any dramatic decline in his offensive ability.
Reputation as a Head Coach Remains Untouched
Interestingly, Reid’s lower play-calling ranking has not translated into a diminished reputation as an overall head coach.
Earlier this month, an Associated Press panel voted Reid the NFL’s top head coach for the fourth consecutive preseason, highlighting the respect he continues to command across the league despite the Chiefs’ disappointing 2025 season.
That distinction reinforces the difference between evaluating offensive play-calling and assessing a coach’s overall body of work.
Opportunity to Climb Back Up the Rankings
With Mahomes healthy and the Chiefs aiming to return to playoff contention in 2026, Reid has an opportunity to remind the league why he has long been regarded as one of football’s greatest offensive minds.
While the survey indicates some defensive coaches now rate several younger offensive play-callers ahead of him, Reid’s résumé speaks for itself. Another successful season could quickly see the veteran coach reclaim his place near the top of future rankings.
