The Kansas City Chiefs are coming off a disappointing 6-11 season, but one NFL analyst still believes the franchise has the league’s top head coach-quarterback pairing.
In a recent ranking for Sports Illustrated, Matt Verderame evaluated every NFL head coach and projected starting quarterback before combining their rankings to determine the league’s strongest duos.
Despite Kansas City’s struggles in 2025 and Patrick Mahomes’ ongoing recovery from a torn ACL and LCL, the Chiefs claimed the top spot.
Verderame ranked Mahomes as the NFL’s No. 1 quarterback and Andy Reid as the league’s second-best head coach behind Los Angeles Rams coach Sean McVay.
“For the first time in years, there’s a case to be made that the Chiefs don’t belong here,” Verderame wrote. “Kansas City went 6–11 in 2025 after three consecutive Super Bowl appearances, and Mahomes is now coming off a torn ACL and LCL. While he was on the field for the first day of OTAs, it remains unclear when he’ll be 100%.”
Even so, Verderame pointed to Mahomes’ accomplishments and production before the injury.
“Regardless, Mahomes is the standard-bearer of his generation,” he wrote. “He’s a two-time MVP, a three-time Super Bowl champion and has reached five Super Bowls and seven AFC title games.”
Verderame added that Mahomes threw for 3,587 yards and 22 touchdowns in just 14 games while ranking sixth in Expected Points Added despite missing nearly a month.
Andy Reid Shares Realistic Patrick Mahomes Return Timeline
The biggest question surrounding Kansas City entering the 2026 season remains Mahomes’ health.
The quarterback suffered a torn ACL and LCL during the Chiefs’ Week 15 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers in December 2025. Since then, he has participated in offseason activities and reportedly remains ahead of schedule in his recovery.
During an appearance on “The Stephen A. Smith Show,” Reid emphasized that the organization is not making assumptions about Mahomes’ availability.
“We haven’t made any assumptions that he’s absolutely going to be there, game one,” Reid said. “We brought in Justin (Fields) for that reason; we drafted a QB. I wouldn’t bet against him. If anybody could do it, it’s this kid.”
The Chiefs added depth at quarterback this offseason by acquiring Justin Fields from the New York Jets in exchange for a 2027 sixth-round pick.
Kansas City also selected LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier in the seventh round of the 2026 NFL Draft.
Reid has consistently praised Mahomes’ commitment to rehabilitation throughout the process.
“He’s doing great right now, and that’s kinda how you have to go about this,” Reid said during an appearance on NFL Network’s “The Insiders.”
“I’ve said this before, people go, ‘Well, he’s ahead of schedule.’ … I’m going, ‘Who made the schedule?’ Everybody’s different, right? Let’s just take it day by day.”
NFL Schedule Appears to Signal Confidence in Patrick Mahomes
While the Chiefs remain cautious publicly, the NFL schedule may reveal optimism about Mahomes’ chances of being ready for the opener.
Kansas City opens the season on Monday Night Football against division rival Denver before hosting Indianapolis on Sunday Night Football in Week 2.
Those prime-time matchups immediately fueled discussion about whether the league expects Mahomes to be under center.
Reid joked that the Chiefs have not shared any insider information with the league office.
“I don’t give them anything, doggonit,” Reid said on “The Insiders.” “You give them too much, then you’re going to be playing over in Australia, doggonit. You don’t want to give them too much.”
NFL executive vice president of media distribution Hans Schroeder confirmed the league had no additional knowledge regarding Mahomes’ recovery when building the schedule.
“We didn’t know anything more than anyone else,” Schroeder said during a conference call. He added that broadcasters remain interested in the Chiefs, pointing to the team’s six prime-time games this season.
Patrick Mahomes Continues Aggressive Rehab Ahead of Chiefs Opener
Although reports remain positive, Reid stressed that the Chiefs will rely on medical evaluations rather than projections.
“Nobody is spending more time than he is rehabbing,” Reid said. “He spends seven hours here going through it. He hasn’t missed a day, and he wants more, all the things that are Patrick Mahomes.”
The veteran coach also acknowledged that Mahomes would likely return immediately if the decision were his alone.
“He’s making progress, I’ve said that all along, but you don’t know,” Reid said. “That’s the reality of it. You don’t know. You’re not going to put the player in a position where he can’t tend to himself on the football field.”
“If it’s Pat, he’d go play today. But that’s not where we’re at. We’ve got time here, and let’s see where we’re at.”
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