qq I don’t usually speak on moments like this — but this one matters. When Patrick Mahomes stood up and said “Don’t you dare disrespect Coach Reid,” that wasn’t frustration talking.
In a rare and emotional postgame press conference following the Chiefs’ season-ending loss to the Las Vegas Raiders, Patrick Mahomes didn’t hold back when asked about growing calls from frustrated fans to move on from head coach Andy Reid after Kansas City’s worst season in over a decade.
“I’m going to say this once, and I need everyone to hear it clearly,” Mahomes said, his voice firm despite the ACL injury that ended his season three weeks earlier. “Anyone questioning Coach Reid’s job needs to take a hard look in the mirror. This season isn’t on him. It’s on injuries, it’s on execution, and frankly, those takes are disrespectful to everything he’s built here.”
Passionate Defense of His Coach
The calls for change started building after Kansas City’s 6-11 finish — their first losing season since 2012 and first playoff miss since 2014. But Mahomes, speaking on crutches after undergoing ACL surgery, wasn’t having any of the criticism directed at Reid.
“Andy Reid is a Hall of Fame coach who’s brought three Super Bowl championships to this city in the last six years,” Mahomes stated. “And now people want to throw him away because we had one bad season? That’s insane.”
Mahomes’ frustration was palpable as he defended his coach’s unprecedented record: 307 career wins (fourth all-time), three Super Bowls, five Super Bowl appearances in six years, and seven straight AFC Championship Games before this year.
“Do you know what this organization looked like before Coach Reid got here? We were 2-12 in 2012. He’s built a dynasty. And you want to fire him because injuries derailed one season?”
Taking Personal Responsibility
What made Mahomes’ comments particularly powerful was his willingness to shoulder blame himself — despite being sidelined for the final three games with a torn ACL and LCL.
“You want to blame someone for this season? Blame the injuries. Blame me for not being available down the stretch,” Mahomes said. “I’m the quarterback. When I went down in Week 15, our season was over. That’s on me not being able to stay healthy, not on Coach Reid’s play-calling.”
He continued: “We were 5-8 when I tore my ACL. Were we having a great year? No. But we were still fighting. The problem was we couldn’t finish games — nine of our 11 losses were by seven points or less. We went 1-8 in one-possession games. That’s execution and injury luck, not coaching.”
Mahomes pointed to the litany of injuries beyond his own: Gardner Minshew’s knee injury in Week 16 forcing third-string quarterback Chris Oladokun to start the final two games, Travis Kelce playing through various ailments, and a defensive unit ravaged all season.
“When your third-string quarterback is starting the last two games of the season, you’re not winning football games in this league,” Mahomes said bluntly. “That’s reality. Not coaching failure.”
A Message to Chiefs Kingdom
Mahomes ended with a direct appeal to fans and a warning to the organization.
“I’m 30 years old. I just tore my ACL for the first time in my career. I’ll be back stronger than ever next season,” he said. “Championship organizations don’t panic and blow things up after one bad year caused by injuries.”
His final statement was pointed: “Coach Reid has already told everyone he’s coming back. And I’m telling you right now — if this organization is dumb enough to even consider moving on from him, they’d be making the biggest mistake in franchise history. And I promise you, he’ll win another Super Bowl somewhere else, and we’ll all regret it.”
Mahomes’ passionate defense puts owner Clark Hunt on notice: the franchise quarterback and the legendary head coach are a package deal.
The Bottom Line
Patrick Mahomes made his position crystal clear: Andy Reid is not the problem. Injuries were. Bad luck in close games was. But not the coaching.
“We failed him this year because we couldn’t stay healthy, not the other way around,” Mahomes said. “And anyone who can’t see that doesn’t understand football or doesn’t understand what we’ve built here.”
The Chiefs missed the playoffs for the first time since 2014. They finished 6-11, their worst record since 2012. They went 1-8 in one-possession games and lost their quarterback to a season-ending injury.
But through it all, Patrick Mahomes’ message remained consistent: this wasn’t a coaching failure. It was a catastrophic injury year that derailed a championship-caliber team.
Whether that message resonates with frustrated fans remains to be seen. But one thing is certain: if the Chiefs ever considered moving on from Andy Reid, Patrick Mahomes just made it abundantly clear that would be a fight they’d lose.
“Coach Reid will be back,” Mahomes declared. “And so will I. And next year, we’re going to remind everyone why Kansas City has been the best franchise in football for the last decade.”
2025 Kansas City Chiefs:
- Record: 6-11 (worst since 2012)
- First playoff miss since 2014
- 1-8 in one-possession games (NFL worst)
- 9 of 11 losses by 7 points or less
- Patrick Mahomes: Torn ACL/LCL Week 15
Andy Reid: 307 career wins (4th all-time) | 3 Super Bowls with Chiefs | Confirmed returning 2026
