Tag: Andy Reid

Chiefs’ Patrick Mahomes, Andy Reid discuss high expectations in Kansas City

Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and head coach Andy Reid spoke on the team’s goals this season and beyond during Saturday’s press conference.

The stars of the Kansas City Chiefs have been very outspoken lately regarding the team’s bright future. The comments from Tyreek Hill and Chris Jones regarding multiple titles have put the ultimate target on the franchise heading into the 2020 season.

As the Chiefs prepare for the start of training camp and seek to defend their Super Bowl title, quarterback Patrick Mahomes and head coach Andy Reid spoke on the team’s goals this season and beyond during Saturday’s press conference. The first questions as expected were regarding the bold comments from both Hill and Jones during the last week.

“You love that guys have the goals; they want to be in Kansas City for a long time and they want to win championships – they don’t want to be average,” said Mahomes. “They want to be great every single year. But I think other than that, you know these guys and how they’re talking, other than just the quotes, they’re talking about the day-to-day process, they’re talking about how hard it is to be on the top, to get to the Super Bowl. If you look at our season this last season, we had a lot of adversity, a lot of ups and downs in the regular season and in the playoffs. I think the guys have that mindset, they have those long-term goals, they know that they’re going to have to go out there every single day and prove that, they’re going to have to go out there with the mindset to be great every single day. If they go through that process every single day, they’ll never have any regrets at the end of your career.”

The Chiefs have been amongst the best teams in the league since drafting Mahomes in 2017. The franchise has taken a step further each season culminating in the crowning of a world championship in February. Reid won his first Super Bowl title as a head coach and spoke candidly about being the team to beat in the league moving forward.

“Absolutely. You cherish that part,” said Reid. “You’ve worked very hard to put yourself in that position and so you understand that, but you also understand you have to go through the process. If you’re not willing to do that then good things aren’t going to happen and the guys know that. Then you have to be blessed with good leaders and I think we have good leaders on this football team. I mentioned this to the rookies, I said ‘Take your notes. Make sure that you study. Make sure that you come prepared to meetings and to practice,’ and one reason is when you see the veterans that’s how they roll so you better come in ready to go. If you don’t, you’re going to fall by the wayside. That won’t change, I don’t believe, with this football team but it’s still day-by-day. It’s not what you did in the Super Bowl it’s what you do going forward, so we’ll work off of that message.”

Confidence is key heading into the new season for the Chiefs seeking to add more titles to their mantle. The hunters becoming the hunted idea will be bulletin material during the highly contested games.

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Chiefs’ Andy Reid, Patrick Mahomes respect Laurent Duvernay-Tardif’s opt-out decision

There was an outpouring of support for Duvernay-Tardif’s selfless decision to opt-out of the 2020 NFL season during Saturday’s press conferences.

Kansas City Chiefs RG Laurent Duvernay-Tardif became the first NFL player to opt-out of the season on Friday evening, choosing to stay in Canada working a long-term care facility to help out during the COVID-19 pandemic. As training camp opened in Kansas City, Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid spoke with the media. Both spoke out in support of Duvernay-Tardif’s decision.

“I think it surprises anyone, but at the same time you respect his decision,” Mahomes said during Saturday’s training camp press conference. “He’s a guy that has been on those front lines working with the people that are suffering from COVID day-to-day and putting in all that time and all that work. He understands it and his decision was he wanted to stay there — he wanted to keep helping in that capacity. And I know it was difficult for him, but you respect the decision for him to kind of put his thoughts aside and kind of do what he thought was best to help out his community and the world as he sees it.”

Reid had nothing bad to say about Duvernay-Tardif and showed unwavering support for his decision and dedication to continue giving and healing in the wake of the current global health crisis.

“I’m a huge Laurent Duvernay-Tardif fan and I was also raised by a doctor,” Reid said. “So, I understand the dedication that it takes to be a doctor and we’re all blessed to have doctors in our lives. They’re givers, they’re not takers. They’re givers and they’re healers, so they want the best for you. Larry has that quality and you’re seeing it to the utmost here. I just think it’s tremendous dedication to his profession and what his future is going to be and mainly to the people that he gets to help. My heart goes out to him. I had a great talk with him — a great visit with him. His players support him, the coaches support him. And we understand when football is over this is going to be one of the greatest doctors ever. We appreciate that.”

The guys throughout the Chiefs’ locker room all echo Mahomes’ sentiments on Duvernay-Tardif’s decision.

“From everybody that I’ve spoken to, everybody respects his decision 100 percent,” Mahomes said. “Larry’s a guy who loves football, but he also loves his other passions and being a doctor is extremely important, especially at this time that we’re at in this world. And so for him, I know it’s difficult for him, he wants to be out here with us, he wants to be a part of us, he wants to be a part of the guys. But at the same time, he wants to make sure he’s doing something to make the world a better place and I believe he is doing that. He’s seen it first-hand and he understands he has to be in that place now and we’re gonna respect it and give him as much support as we can.”

The team will miss Duvernay-Tardif’s presence in the locker room and on the field. He should find comfort knowing that he continues to have the support his teammates, coaches, and the entire Chiefs Kingdom behind him.

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Chiefs HC Andy Reid instrumental in final negotiations between NFL, NFLPA

Andy Reid apparently played a key part in negotiations between the NFL and NFLPA.

Kansas City Chiefs HC Andy Reid played a major role in bringing the NFL Players Association and NFL owners together in final negotiations ahead of the opening of training camp.

According to NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport, Reid walked union representatives through what training camp could look like this offseason. He also had a voice on the NFL owners call at the behest of league Commissioner Roger Goodell.

Reid has had a reputation of being a player’s coach when it comes to the locker room as well as front office negotiations. This rep seems to have reached a new level with the NFL Commissioner leaning on Coach Reid to help in one of the most trying times the NFL has seen. It speaks volumes to how well-respected he is.

If you’re looking for an idea of what Reid might have shared with both the NFLPA and the ownership, Reid recently spoke to the media on the Chiefs’ plan for training camp.

“Rick Burkholder and Mitch Reynolds have done a phenomenal job of setting everything up to try to be COVID safe, the best way they possibly can,” Reid said. “That’s where we start. We’re starting with a couple days of testing for the players. They’ll do back-to-back tests. Then from there, they’ll work their physical and get their equipment then head with Ted to do whatever media obligations they potentially have. There are a couple of days for that. That takes you into four days here. Then there’s a point where we’re going to be able to have the guys lift, meet with them, and do a potential walkthrough with them.”

“That’s kind of how that’s set up,” Reid continued. “That will go for an extended amount of time. The league and the union are still working through a few things. Bill O’Brien with the Texans and the Chiefs are starting it off and working through it, working through the formats that have been given to us. If you guys have an opportunity to see the set-up, it’s phenomenal.”

Coach Reid seems to be optimistic about how the league and the Chiefs’ staff will handle this pandemic. They’ll make sure games take place but more importantly, protect and keep everyone safe.

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How Mike Zimmer’s multi-year contract extension impacts the Eagles’ Doug Pederson

Minnesota Vikings finalizing a multi-year contract extension with head coach Mike Zimmer

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The NFL is predicated on high-profile quarterbacks and coaches who are able to manage the personalities of 53 players, his staff, and a bevy of other distractions.

Doug Pederson is one of the top head coaches in the NFL and although he received a contract extension during the summer of 2018 after leading the Birds to the Super Bowl, he appears to be a bit underpaid in some circles.

After leading the Eagles to their third straight playoff appearance in 2019, Pederson might be in line for a new deal after the Minnesota Vikings started formalizing a multi-year contract extension with head coach Mike Zimmer.

Zimmer has a 59-41 record, including playoffs, and he’s the third-winningest coach in Vikings history behind the late Dennis Green (101-70) and the legendary Bud Grant (161-99).

With Zimmer at the helm, the Vikings have had one of the top defensive units in the NFL. What The Vikings and Zimmer don’t have in that timeframe is a Super Bowl.

In his six seasons as coach of the Vikings, Zimmer has made the playoffs three times, including winning two NFC North Division crowns. Pederson has led the Eagles to the playoffs in three straight seasons, including a Super Bowl in 2017.

As of today, Pederson isn’t in the top-10 highest-paid coaches in football or the top-20 highest paid in sports despite his playoff prowess.

1. Bill Belichick: $12 million
2. Pete Carroll: $11 million
3. Jon Gruden: $10 million
4. Sean Payton: $9.8 million
5. John Harbaugh: $9 million
6. Matt Rhule: $8.5 million
7. Sean McVay: $8.5 million
T-8. Mike Tomlin: $8 million
T-8. Dan Quinn: $8 million
T-8. Andy Reid: $8 million

Pederson is 38-26 over his first four seasons and hasn’t had a losing season since his first season as a head coach back in 2016. The Eagles rarely have contract disputes with coaches but it’ll be interesting to see how Howie Roseman proceeds with Pederson having two-years remaining on his current deal.

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Eagles Carson Wentz and Doug Pederson land in the top-5 of a ranking of the Top-10 QB/Coach duos in the NFL

Carson Wentz, Doug Pederson No. 5 in a ranking of QB/Coach duos in NFL

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The Philadelphia Eagles are one of the gold standard franchises in the NFL because of the coach-quarterback pairing of Carson Wentz and Doug Pederson and the partnership hasn’t gone unnoticed.

The duo finished behind the top duo in sports currently and that Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes of the Chiefs. Kansas City is fresh off a Super Bowl and Mahomes just inked a $503 million contract extension.

No. 2 on the list was Sean Payton and Drew Brees, followed by Pete Carroll and Russell Wilson (3), followed by John Harbaugh and Lamar Jackson who landed at No. 4 on the list.

No other NFC East duo made the list.

Pederson has a career record of 38-26 (.594) in Philadelphia and he’s been tied at the hip to Wentz, who’s played a huge part in a lot of those wins.

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Chiefs HC Andy Reid reveals plans for training camp as rookies report

Kansas City Chiefs HC Andy Reid talks schedule, social distancing and more at training camp as rookies report.

Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid elaborated on the plan for training camp during Chris Jones’ extension press conference on Monday. We already know quite a bit about the schedule with rookies reporting for COVID-19 testing starting today. Reid began with high praise for the athletic training staff for getting things ready and as safe as possible given the current circumstances. He then took us through what the first few days of training camp will look like for the rookies here.

“Rick Burkholder and Mitch Reynolds have done a phenomenal job of setting everything up to try to be COVID-safe the best we possibly can,” Reid began. “That’s where we start. We start with a couple of days of testing for the players. They do back-to-back tests and then they’ll actually, from there, work their physicals, get their equipment and head with Ted [Crews] and do whatever media obligations they potentially have.

“There are a couple of days for that. That takes you into four days here and then there’s a point where we’re going to be able to have the guys lift, and meet with them, and do a potential walkthrough with them. So that’s kind of how that is setup. That goes for an extended period of time.”

Reid noted that the NFL and NFLPA are still working through some things, but he said that the Chiefs and the Houston Texans, who both are starting their training camps earlier than the rest of the league, are working within the framework that’s been provided by the NFL so far. And they’re doing things as safe as they possibly can while the NFL and NFLPA work out any remaining details.

One thing that Reid is seemingly impressed with is the socially-distanced setup the Chiefs have for training camp.

“When you guys see the setup — if you have an opportunity to do that — it’s phenomenal,” Reid said. “We’re going to do everything out of the stadium. The way they’ve set it up, we could have a ton of people social distance, more than we have with our football team. They’ve got it all set up with monitors and everything else. They’ve got each media room set up. They’ve split the Arrowhead Stadium in half, so one half, the defense is on one side, the offense is on the other side. It’s really something.”

As for the ever-present concern over the coronavirus, Reid explained that the responsibility lies on the players, coaches and staff beyond the confines of Arrowhead Stadium and playing the game.

“The guys are going to be tested often,” Reid continued. “It’ll be good that way. And then, listen, there’s a responsibility for coaches and players to make sure we handle ourselves right when we’re away from it. We’re still going to keep as much social distancing when we can. Obviously, it’s contact sport. But when we’re not in contact, we’re going to keep our social distance when we’re not playing. We have all that set up, we’re going to have our masks set up and do all the things and wash our hands, do all those fundamental things. We’re going to stay on top of that.”

Things may have come off as haphazard or unprepared as the NFL and NFLPA continue to negotiate and players voice their concerns. But there seems to be a level of confidence from Reid and others in the building that the Chiefs will be able to navigate football and the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Statements from Chiefs’ Andy Reid, Brett Veach on Chris Jones’ contract extension

The Kansas City Chiefs have officially announced Chris Jones’ extension with comments from Brett Veach and Andy Reid.

The Kansas City Chiefs have made it official, signing Chris Jones to a long-term contract extension ahead of the NFL’s deadline for franchise-tagged players. Alongside their announcement comes comments from Chief GM Brett Veach and HC Andy Reid. You can find each of their statements below.

Brett Veach:

“I’d like to thank Chris and his representatives, Jason and Michael Katz for their efforts in getting this deal done. Chris is an elite defensive tackle in our league, and there is no better example of that than his impact in our Super Bowl LIV victory. He’s a passionate player and guy who loves Kansas City. He wanted to be here with us, and it was a priority for us to keep him here. We’re really excited to lock him up for years to come.”

Andy Reid:

“Chris is a player that is full of positive energy, and that enthusiasm carries throughout our entire locker room. He has the ability to make plays up front for us, which we’ve all seen plenty of times over the last four years. He’s come a long way since we drafted him and the best part is, he still has room to grow and learn. He’s earned this recognition, and I’m happy for him and his family.”

Jones signed a four-year deal worth up to $85 million. It’ll keep him in Kansas City through the 2023 season.

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Patrick Mahomes, Andy Reid give the Chiefs the margin for error to overpay Chris Jones

Did the Chiefs give Chris Jones too much money? Probably. Will it matter? Probably not.

It took up until the final day before the deadline to extend franchise-tagged players, but the Chiefs finally got a deal done. Chris Jones will be staying in Kansas City for the foreseeable future after agreeing to a four-year, $80 million deal that puts him behind only Aaron Donald and DeForest Buckner on the list of the NFL’s highest-paid defensive tackles.

My initial instinct was to criticize the deal. That’s a lot of money for an interior defensive lineman, even one as good as Jones, and it will be awfully difficult — if not impossible — for him to play up to it. That, of course, matters because the NFL is salary cap league and the Chiefs have only so many dollars to spend on players. And with a small group of players taking up such a large portion of the cap — Jones, Mahomes, Tyreek Hill and Frank Clark have all inked big-money deals and Travis Kelce will get one next offseason — it’s going to be difficult for this seemingly budding dynasty to keep things together.

So it’s fair to ask, How will the Chiefs make it all work?

It takes about two seconds to come up with an answer to that question: Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid.

When you have a hall of fame coach who has had no problem evolving along with the sport and a generational quarterback who will only get better, the front office’s margin for error grows exponentially. As long as those two are around, the Chiefs are going to be a good football team.

That’s the difference between Kansas City and a team like the Rams, which took a similar approach to constructing its roster around a young quarterback. If Jared Goff was a quarterback worth whatever ridiculous sum of money he signed for last offseason — for my own sanity, I refuse to look it up — the story of the 2019 Rams would have been far different. But Goff has proven to be a middling quarterback incapable of elevating the players around him, so Los Angeles has felt the impact of extending a running back with an arthritic knee and giving a defensive tackle a nine-figure deal.

The only way this deal really hurts the Chiefs is if Jones declines significantly, but there’s no reason to expect that to happen. He’s just entering his prime and, since 2018, he’s graded out as the NFL’s best interior defender not named Aaron Donald, per Pro Football Focus. His 18.7% pass rush win rate ranks second behind Donald since 2018. If you’re going to overpay a player, make sure it’s a good one. Kansas City did that, at the very least.

You can apply this same analysis to the Chiefs’ pick of RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire in the first round of the 2020 NFL draft. “Drafting a running back in the first round” is even higher on the list of analytical no-nos than “overpaying for pass rush.” But Edwards-Helaire is basically guaranteed to be a productive player in Reid’s scheme; so while drafting him was a poor use of resources, it’s not going to manifest itself in an obvious (or even significant) way. Edwards-Helaire busting won’t slow down this machine in the same way that overpaying for Jones won’t.

I’m not saying general manager Brett Veach can do no wrong but it’s going to take A LOT of incompetence for him to mess things up with Mahomes and Reid around. Giving an elite player too much money doesn’t qualify as incompetence.

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5 takeaways from Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes’ contract extension press conference

Kansas City Chiefs’ Andy Reid, Brett Veach and Patrick Mahomes spoke to the media on Tuesday.

The Kansas City Chiefs held a press conference on Tuesday with QB Patrick Mahomes following his record-setting contract extension. He was briefly joined by Chiefs HC Andy Reid and GM Brett Veach to discuss the details surrounding Mahomes’ extension in Kansas City. Here are five takeaways from the things that Mahomes, Veach and Reid had to say:

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This mega-contract has been in the works for a while

The Kansas City Chiefs knew for a long time that Mahomes was going to get an extension, but they didn’t quite envision how much they’d be paying, at least not right away.

“Really, going back to the first free agency that I was part of back in 2018, we had the mindset to structure deals to prepare for an extension for Pat (Mahomes),” Veach said. “Again, it goes to the level of belief and faith that we had in Pat and this was before he was a fulltime starter. Now, the one thing in Pat’s favor is that as the (2018) season went on, the number kept getting bigger and bigger. So we were planning for the normal quarterback market back in ’18 and. . .  it just took off.”

His value took off so much so that the Chiefs’ cap gurus, Brandt Tilis and Chris Shea, soon realized they’d be forking out baseball money to Mahomes. In fact, it went back to Mike Trout’s contract which was signed in March of 2019.

“Brandt Tilis and Chris Shea. I remember when the Trout deal came out, Brandt coming down to my office and said, ‘Pat’s going to be a baseball contract. I mean that’s how good this kid’s going to be and we need to start thinking like this,'” Veach explained. “The cool thing about it is — and Coach Reid alluded to this — the maturity level of Pat, in this day and age, you’re looking around and it’s three-year deals, four-year deals. But Pat was so committed to this city and wanted security, certainly like every player does. But also wanted to be here and to win and to establish a dynasty. So he said, ‘Shoot let’s be creative, let’s figure out a way to do this. I want to be here for the rest of my career and I want to win.’ So the discussions on this contract have really been years in the making.”

Since Brett Veach took over for John Dorsey following the 2017 NFL Draft, everything has been done methodically so that this contract could happen. They might have needed to make a few tweaks along the way, but so far the front office has been very precise and deliberate in their decision-making with Mahomes.

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Statements from Chiefs’ Andy Reid, Brett Veach and Clark Hunt on Patrick Mahomes’ new deal

The Kansas City Chiefs have officially announced the Mahomes extension and top brass had a lot to say.

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The Kansas City Chiefs have officially announced that Patrick Mahomes has signed a 10-year contract extension with the team. Alongside their announcement comes comments from CEO and chairman Clark Hunt, general manager Brett Veach and head coach Andy Reid. You can find each of their statements below.

Clark Hunt:

“This is a significant moment for our franchise and for the Chiefs Kingdom. Since he joined the Chiefs just a few years ago, Patrick has developed into one of the most prolific athletes in all of sports. With his dynamic play and infectious personality, he is one of the most recognized and beloved figures to put on the Chiefs uniform. He’s an extraordinary leader and a credit to the Kansas City community, and I’m delighted that he will be a member of the Chiefs for many years to come.”

Brett Veach:

“Getting this deal done has been a priority for us for quite a while now. I’d like to thank Chris Cabott and Leigh Steinberg for their efforts and patience, along with Brandt Tilis and Chris Shea on my staff. I’d also like to recognize Clark Hunt, Mark Donovan and Coach Reid who have all been incredibly supportive while we’ve worked though the details. I’ve said from the beginning that Patrick is one of the most impressive players I’ve ever scouted, but I don’t think anyone could have envisioned everything he’s brought to our football team and community. His abilities are so rare, and to couple that with an incredible personality is outstanding. We’re going to continue to do everything we can to surround him with talent, and this deal provides us more flexibility to do that. He’s obviously an integral part to our success and we’re thrilled he’s going to be the quarterback of the Kansas City Chiefs for a long time.“

Andy Reid:

“I’ve had the privilege of coaching a lot of incredible athletes and special people in my career, and Patrick is without question on that list of players. The best part is he’s still early in his career. He’s a natural leader and always grinding, whether that’s on the field, in the weight room or watching film, he wants to be the best. He’s a competitor and his teammates feed off his energy. He makes us all better as an organization and we are blessed he’s going to be our quarterback for years to come.”

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