Has Andy Reid already passed peak Bill Belichick? NFL analyst spotlights remaining road to the top
Andy Reid, once again, is celebrating the defeat of 31 other head coaches this season. With the opponents of 2023 vanquished, one NFL analyst pitted Reid's career against that of Tom Brady's head coach. Speaking on "Get Up" on Tuesday, NFL analyst Dan Graziano placed Reid well short of Bill Belichick despite his recent run of Super Bowls:
"I know we're not supposed to count rings, but, in this case, I am. He's halfway there. Look, he's made it a conversation, which is an incredible accomplishment when you think about the fact that they're contemporaries. [00:00:53]"
Belichick had six Super Bowl rings as a head coach. Also, he earned two while serving as Bill Parcells' defensive coordinator with the New York Giants. Reid, meanwhile, has earned three rings and one as an assistant with the Green Bay Packers.
While both coaches had an opposite experience in 2023, the legacy of Belichick still towers above Reid.
Still, that doesn't mean Reid hasn't accomplished greatness. He is the fifth NFL HC to have won three Super Bowls in the last five years, per BYU Athletics.
Andy Reid conversation expands beyond Tom Brady vs. Patrick Mahomes
Before the Super Bowl, the most significant debate in the NFL was No. 12 against No. 15. However, before long, the conversation began to change toward whether Andy Reid made Patrick Mahomes' career jump or the other way.
Before Mahomes, Reid had never won a Super Bowl, although he had coached in one before with the Philadelphia Eagles. He also had been to the playoffs on a perennial basis as a head coach with both franchises.
However, with Mahomes, Reid has entered a unique company. This is a different conversation than the Tom Brady vs. Bill Belichick argument because Belichick lacked success anywhere near what he accomplished with Brady. Reid, meanwhile, did everything except win a Super Bowl with Mahomes.
Much of the pressure fell on Belichick to perform in the post-Brady years. So it's expected the pressure will fall on Mahomes to perform in the post-Andy Reid years, whenever that happens.
At this point, that future era appears to be at least another season further away, with Reid and Travis Kelce expected to return in 2024.
If any of the above quotes are used, credit "Get Up" and H/T Sportskeeda.