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AROUND THE SHIELD — If Andy Reid's place in Canton wasn't secured before Sunday's inaugural Super Bowl in Las Vegas, it's now as sure of a deal as holding on 20.
The 65-year-old BYU graduate won his third Super Bowl as head coach of the Kansas City Chiefs, clinching the fourth overall ring of his career when Patrick Mahomes found Mecole Hardman Jr. for a 3-yard touchdown in overtime to send the Chiefs past the San Francisco 49ers 25-22 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.
The Chiefs were the underdogs in the last three games of their title-clinching run.
"Just know that the Kansas City Chiefs are never underdogs," Mahomes said.
Maybe the rest of the NFL will stop doubting Reid, the former BYU offensive lineman who learned as a graduate assistant under legendary coach LaVell Edwards before embarking on a five-decade career that included the last 30 years with the NFL's Green Bay Packers, Philadelphia Eagles and Chiefs.
It could have been easy to doubt Reid, when the 49ers held the prolific Mahomes offense to a single field goal en route to a 10-3 lead as Usher was preparing a tribute to the iPod.
Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce appeared to doubt at one point, when the venerated tight end who became better known this season for dating Taylor Swift was caught on camera berating Reid's offensive scheme.
Reid even stumbled backward at the affront, but later admitted to ESPN's Chris Berman that he understood Kelce's passion. He even laughed it off — after the play called "corn dog" went for Hardman's game-winning touchdown, that is.
"He caught me when I wasn't looking," Reid said alongside his wife Tammy. "He didn't know I was going to go that far, so he came up and gave me a hug and said sorry about that.
"He just wants to be on the field, and he wants to play," he added. "There is nobody I get better than I get him; he's a competitive kid, he loves to play, and he makes me feel young. But my balance is terrible."
It's certainly hard to argue with his results.
Only 14 NFL head coaches have won multiple Super Bowl titles, and Reid's third title is tied for the third-most in NFL history with 49ers legend Bill Walsh and Redskins manager Joe Gibbs. Only Hall-of-Fame Pittsburgh coach Chuck Noll (4) and former New England coach Bill Belichick (6) have more.
It's the first time a team has won back-to-back Super Bowl titles in 19 years, since Belichick and a former sixth-round draft pick Tom Brady went back-to-back in 2003 and 2004.
With such exclusive company, is there any chance Reid calls it a career after leading Kansas City to a third Lombardi Trophy in five years?
"I get asked that," Reid told CBS' Bill Cowher in an interview that ran before the Super Bowl. "I'm good. I feel great. They say it just hits you, (but) it hasn't hit me. That's the best answer I can give."
The Chiefs are just the third team in NFL history to make four Super Bowls in five seasons, joining the Buffalo Bills from 1990-93 and the Patriots from 2014-18.
Will Super Bowl LVIII be Andy Reid's final game?
— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) February 11, 2024
It sure doesn't sound like it based on his interview with @CowherCBS. pic.twitter.com/xOidVPei2B
They're also 129-51 in Reid's 11 seasons at the helm, and return a cast of characters next year that will include arguably the most exciting quarterback in the league, who at just 28 years old and a seven-year veteran became the first player since Joe Montana (three) and Brady (five) to win as many Super Bowl MVP honors after completing 34-of-46 passes for 333 yards and two touchdowns.
"He's one of the best coaches of all time. I believe he is the best coach of all time," Mahomes said. "I know he doesn't have the trophies yet, and I have a lot of respect for some of those great coaches. But the way he's able to navigate every team he has, continue to have success no matter where he is at, and he brings out the best in me because he lets me be me ... I don't think I would be the quarterback I am if I had any other coach."
This year's championship was special, though. The Chiefs had never won a Super Bowl playing a postseason game away from Arrowhead Stadium, but when the regular season ended at 11-6, Kansas City had to travel to Buffalo and Baltimore after a wild-card home win over the Miami Dolphins.
But Mahomes and the Chiefs survived Josh Allen and the Bills 27-24, then held off Lamar Jackson and the Ravens 17-10 en route to the Super Bowl win against Brock Purdy, Fred Warner and the 49ers.
The run may have been Reid's finest coaching job, taking a team that had Mahomes and one of the league's top tight ends in Kelce — but often struggled in the run game and lacked a dynamic, consistent No. 1 receiver for much of the year.
Still, the former lineman with a love of cheeseburgers and "nuggies" never doubted. Not in this team, at least.
"They build that in you," Reid said. "Every day I get to be with these guys, and they're phenomenal. They want to play well, and they want to win. As a coach, what more can you ask for? They don't get down on each other … it's a team, and in this day and age, that can be a tough thing. There are a lot of egos and money involved, but this team just wants to win."
Locals in the NFL: Super Bowl
Kansas City 25, San Francisco 22
Chiefs (15-6)
- No locals on the active roster.
- Coached by Andy Reid (head coach, BYU), Alex Whittingham (defensive quality control, Utah/Brighton High), Porter Ellett (assistant running backs, BYU/Wayne High).
- Matt Bushman, TE, BYU: Practice squad.
49ers (14-6)
- Fred Warner, LB, BYU: Starting middle linebacker made a team-high 13 tackles, including nine solo stops, on defense.
- Mitch Wishnowsky, P, Utah: Punted five times for 254 yards (50.8 yards per punt) with three punts downed inside the 20.
- Cameron Latu, TE, Olympus (via Alabama): Injured reserve.
