- Big Red confirmed he will return to the Chiefs for another season in the fall
- He emphasized that a three-peat won’t be easy with new coaches in the AFC West
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The Chiefs have released new footage from their Super Bowl celebrations, with Andy Reid telling his players, “let’s party tonight!” as he held the Vince Lombardi Trophy in the team’s locker room for the third time of his career after the game.
As he gathered his troops into a circle one last time before the start of the team’s afterparty at XS Nightclub on The Strip, Big Red addressed his squad after a season full of ups and downs, including a string of five losses in eight matches in December.
The 65-year-old began his speech by hoisting the Vince Lombardi Trophy, first saying, “Hey, I appreciate you guys, great job! I mean great job!’
Just before raising the Lombardi Trophy again, he added, “And… let’s party tonight, eh!”
“What about those Chiefs?!”
“Chiefs!” the players replied.
Andy Reid was filmed saying to his players: ‘Let’s party tonight!’ after the Chiefs’ Super Bowl victory
Reid is now a three-time Super Bowl champion with Patrick Mahomes as his starting QB in KC
The win over San Francisco made the Chiefs the first team since Brady’s Patriots 19 years ago to repeat. They have won three of the past five Super Bowls and played in four of them.
And they didn’t sound like they were done either, talking openly about their attempt to become the first team to three-peat. However, Reid warned it wouldn’t be easy, pointing to new coaching hires in the division, with the LA Chargers bringing in Jim Harbaugh and the Raiders taking Antonio Pierce to the next level.
“We have great competition in the AFC West,” Reid said. “These guys are good football coaches. It won’t just be easy.’
No matter what happens, Reid has secured his place among the greatest coaches ever. His three Super Bowl titles trail only Bill Belichick’s six with New England and Chuck Noll’s four with the 1970s Steelers.
Reid is even with San Francisco’s Bill Walsh and Washington’s Joe Gibbs. Walsh was known for his innovative West Coast offense, and Gibbs is the only coach to claim three championships with three different starting quarterbacks.
Reid has shown the ability to tailor his offense to his personnel and maximize its potential, but most of his success will be thanks to Mahomes. Before Mahomes arrived, questions dogged Reid about whether he could win it all.
Reid is now tied with San Francisco’s Bill Walsh and Washington’s Joe Gibbs for Super Bowl wins (3). Pictured with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell
In 14 years in Philadelphia, he went 224-130 and led the Eagles to one Super Bowl appearance and four consecutive NFC championship games. But no ring.
The questions since then have ranged from whether Reid can win it all to where he sits among the NFL’s best coaches.
“I believe he is the greatest coach of all time,” Mahomes said. “I know he didn’t have the trophies (before Kansas City) and I have a lot of respect for some of those great coaches. But the way he is able to navigate every team he has continues to find success no matter where he is.
‘He brings out the best in me because he lets me be myself. I think that’s important. He’s not trying to make me into someone else. I don’t think I would be the quarterback I am if Coach Reid wasn’t my head coach.”
Reid plans to stay on as Mahomes’ coach for at least one more season, even though he could retire at nearly 66 with another Vince Lombardi Trophy and his legacy secured.
“I haven’t even thought about it yet, but I do get questions about it,” Reid said. ‘I’m still a bit in awe of the match (Sunday) and what happened there. … I keep saying, ”Why didn’t Belichick and Pete (Carroll) retire?” Ask the old guys that question, but I’m the old man now.”