When Kansas City Chiefs coach Andy Reid decides to call it a career, he will certainly end up in the Pro Football Hall of Fame one day.
Reid is set to remain at the helm for the Chiefs in 2026, with a slew of new assistant coaches on the offensive side of the ball. Before winning his first Super Bowl title in 2019, Reid was considered a toss-up for the Hall of Fame. After winning two more over the last six years, his spot in Canton is secure.
The only question that lingers is whether or not Reid will make it in on the first-ballot. Until recently many likely would have believed that he would, but with former Cleveland Browns and New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick not getting in on his first year of eligibility, Reid’s chances could now be in jeopardy. One of Belichick’s most talented former players recently weighed in.
Legendary TE Rob Gronkowski doesn’t believe Andy Reid should be first-ballot Hall of Famer
GettyRob Gronkowski spoke honestly about his former coach Bill Belichick’s Hall of Fame snub.
While speaking to Front Office Sports, Gronkowski not only vented about how Belichick was unjustly snubbed by the Hall of Fame committee, but also said that Reid should not make it in during his first year of eligibility either as a result.
“Coach Belichick needs to be in the Hall of Fame, and it needed to be a first-ballot,” Gronkowski said. “Now there’s no such thing as a first-ballot Hall of Fame coach. No other coach ever in history should go first-ballot. There’s a guy out there, Andy Reid, but he can’t go first-ballot now because coach Belichick wasn’t first-ballot.”
Bill Belichick’s Hall of Fame status should have no bearing on Andy Reid’s
GettyNew England Patriots HC Bill Belichick (left) and Kansas City Chiefs HC Andy Reid (right) embrace on January 16, 2016.
It’s not surprising that Gronkowski got fired up over his former coach getting snubbed for the Hall of Fame. Belichick absolutely should have gotten in, but where Gronkowski goes off the rails a bit is when he advocates for Reid to be punished as well.
Two wrongs don’t make a right. Instead, those who have a Hall of Fame vote (specifically ones who didn’t vote for Belichick) should re-evaluate their thinking. Coaches such as Belichick and Reid, who each have multiple Super Bowl victories and rank in the top 4 all-time in wins, should be first-ballot sho0-ins.
One could argue that Reid actually has a leg up on Belichick. Reid has recorded just four losing seasons throughout his 27-year coaching career, which is half the total of Belichick’s eight during his 29-year career. Belichick’s success is also heavily tied to quarterback Tom Brady, as 249 of his 333 victories (including the postseason) came with Brady under center.
As for Reid, he has consistently won with different quarterbacks, such as Donovan McNabb, Michael Vick, Alex Smith, and Patrick Mahomes. Belichick posted a 34-50 record with the Patriots, which included zero postseason victories, without Brady. If Reid can get the Chiefs back to powerhouse form, he could realistically pass Belichick for the third-most regular season wins in NFL history by the end of the 2027 season.
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