qq I’ve been in this locker room long enough to know when noise gets loud — and right now, it’s deafening.
The Kansas City Chiefs’ disastrous 6–11 season has sparked one of the loudest controversies the franchise has faced in the Patrick Mahomes era — and now, sports radio star Craig Carton has thrown gasoline on the fire.
In a blistering on-air rant, Carton openly called for the Chiefs to move on from head coach Andy Reid, delivering one of the harshest critiques ever aimed at the future Hall of Famer.
“This was an embarrassing year for a team that thought every year was their year to win a Super Bowl,” Carton said. “There comes a point when the ownership recognizes that we’ve done as much as we can do with that guy. While we respect him, it’s time to move on.”
Those words alone would have been shocking. But Carton didn’t stop there.
“Andy Reid should be on the hot seat in Kansas,” he continued. “It’s over in Kansas City, because he refuses to run the football. Andy Reid is a byproduct of Patrick Mahomes’ success.”
The comments sent shockwaves through NFL media and Chiefs Kingdom, striking at the heart of what has defined Kansas City’s dynasty over the past decade. Reid, long considered one of the greatest offensive minds in football history, has been the architect behind Mahomes’ rise, multiple Super Bowl appearances, and years of dominance in the AFC.
But Carton’s argument is simple — and brutally direct: when Mahomes stopped carrying the team by himself, Reid’s system was exposed.
The 6–11 record marked the worst season of the Mahomes era and one of the most disappointing campaigns by a preseason Super Bowl favorite in recent NFL history. Kansas City struggled to sustain drives, protect the quarterback, and most notably, establish a reliable running game. Defenses sat back, daring the Chiefs to beat them on the ground — and they often couldn’t.
Carton believes that stubbornness is Reid’s fatal flaw.
In his view, the Chiefs became too predictable, too pass-heavy, and too dependent on Mahomes improvising miracles rather than operating within a balanced offense. When injuries and defensive adjustments limited Mahomes’ ability to create, the entire system collapsed.
That’s why Carton labeled Reid “a byproduct of Patrick Mahomes’ success” — a statement that cuts deep. It suggests that Reid’s legacy in Kansas City is not built on scheme or adaptability, but on having one of the greatest quarterbacks in NFL history under center.
Now, the pressure is on the Chiefs’ ownership.
Do they stay loyal to the coach who helped build a dynasty? Or do they accept that the NFL is a “what have you done lately” league — and 6–11 is simply unacceptable for a team with Mahomes on the roster?
For fans, the debate is raging. Some see Carton’s words as disrespectful to a legend. Others see them as painfully honest.
