Chiefs HC Andy Reid Talks Mahomes’ Return, Kelce, KC’s Schedule & More w/Rich

Andy Reid just got handed his 14th NFL schedule as the Kansas City Chiefs' head coach. He joined Rich for the full breakdown, and the conversation walked through almost every story line the Chiefs are carrying into 2026. Mahomes' return. Walker. Kelce. The draft. And eventually, his own longevity.

The schedule itself came first. Reid looked at the same things he always looks at.

"I looked at obviously the first game, which is a great one, great rivalry game with the Denver Broncos on Monday night," Reid said. "Doesn't get any better than that."

Then bye week. Then night games. Then Thursdays. The Chiefs have back-to-back Thursdays this year, plus the Thanksgiving game.

Rich asked Reid whether he liked the Week 5 bye, with two night games crammed in front of it. Reid waved off the premise.

"I'm kind of nutty about that," Reid said. "Whoever we're playing, we play. Whenever we play them, we play them. I don't get caught up too much on what it looks like or doesn't look like."

When pressed for the practical use of an early bye, he reluctantly conceded its value.

"You just came out of a long training camp," Reid said. "You have an opportunity to play four games against good opponents, and so you take that time and you kind of rekindle it up."

The hardest stretch on the schedule is the three-week road trip during the Thursday-Thanksgiving-Thursday cycle. Rams, Bills, Bengals. Reid did not flinch.

"They're all three really good football teams," Reid said. "That to me kind of charges it up. You don't have to say much to the guys about getting fired up."

Then the line that earned the laugh.

"We'll go play in the McDonald's parking lot, as long as they're giving out cheeseburgers," Reid said.

Rich's actual headline question came next. Which week does Patrick Mahomes start a game?

"Rich, man," Reid said.

He worked up to a real answer.

"He spent a ton of time here, and he's getting better every day," Reid said. "He's not taking any setbacks, and that's what you look for. As long as he keeps making the progress forward, maybe you have a chance to see him the first game."

Rich pressed harder. The league scheduled Mahomes' Chiefs at home Monday night against Bo Nix's Broncos in Week 1. That has to mean something.

"Deep down, Roger Goodell wanted to be a physical therapist," Reid said. "He said, listen, the two of the top quarterbacks in the National Football League need some motivation to get themselves back on the football field. So let's put them against each other."

Reid talked through what he wants to see in July and August before clearing Mahomes for action.

"You want to make sure that it's healed, number one," Reid said. "And that he can keep himself out of harm's way as needed. We're obviously not going to just throw him out there to throw him out there."

He invoked the famous Denver game where Mahomes' kneecap ended up on the side of his leg. Reid remembered the part Rich did not.

"He was trying to talk me into at halftime of going back in the game," Reid said. "That's how this guy is wired."

The image he wanted everyone to know is the unglamorous version.

"I wish everybody could see how he's gone about his business on getting himself ready," Reid said. "Seven hours in the building every day. Every day he's in here and going and working."

The longer view holds.

"He's still got a lot left in his career, and you don't want to put him in a bad position there," Reid said.

The rehab is being run by trainer Julie, with head trainer Rick Burkhardt and the medical staff supporting her. Reid wanted to make the credit clear.

"I'll put her against any PT in the league," Reid said. "She's a good one."

Rich invoked Curt Cignetti's line about introducing his new quarterback to two new best friends, a running game and a defense. The Chiefs spent the offseason building both.

The running game piece is Kenneth Walker III. Reid said the team was excited to land the Super Bowl MVP and gave credit to Brett Veach and Walker's agent.

"Heck, we'll utilize him," Reid said. "He's been here every day during the OTAs, working his tail off, and I think he's really looking forward to the opportunity to play."

Rich pushed on the run-game commitment in plain language. More than usual?

Reid hedged into his usual deflection.

"When you go to BYU, Rich, it's like going to Michigan, except even a little bit better, right?" Reid said. "We get tagged, we're not into tattoos, but if we have a tattoo, it would say pass game, right? Right over our heart."

Then he closed the dodge.

"We'll run the ball," Reid said. "If we have to throw it, we'll throw it. If we have to run it, we'll run it. And heck, if we can do both good, we'll do both good."

The defense piece showed up in the draft. The Chiefs' first four picks all on the defensive side, starting with cornerback Mansoor Delane, whom they traded up to take.

"We lost a few of the secondary players to free agency and trade," Reid said. "Bringing him in gives us a legitimate corner there. He was tremendous at the college level, and we anticipate he'll do the same here."

Steve Spagnuolo, in Reid's framing, gets new options.

"We were lucky enough to have a couple of first-round picks, so we were able to put some people in place there that Spags will use," Reid said.

The Travis Kelce conversation came next. Why did he come back?

"I think he loves the game," Reid said. "He still can play. But he surely didn't want to leave on the year that we had."

Kelce told Reid the day after the season ended.

"He told me, he says, listen, I'm, we get this thing worked out, I'd love to be back," Reid said.

The Kelce energy still humbles his head coach.

"I wish I had that energy now," Reid said. "I'm not sure I had the energy when I was his age. This guy, he wants to fight you if you take him out of the game."

The closing block was on Reid himself. Year 14 in Kansas City. Same number of years he spent in Philadelphia.

"I'm old," Reid said.

He took the upgrade Rich offered. Grizzled, not old.

"I love every minute of it," Reid said. "I put a Tommy Bahama shirt on, go to work and enjoy it, man. I get to be around these young guys, and they keep me young."

The Mike Holmgren parallel came up. Holmgren coached longer in Seattle than Green Bay. Reid is now in that position with Philly and Kansas City.

"Now we're tied," Reid said. "We'll be tied this year. 14 Philly, 14 here."

Then the thing Reid said he comes back to whenever the longevity question gets asked.

"We're one out of 32 guys in the whole world to have a chance to do what we're doing as head coaches," Reid said. "And that's an honor. I cherish every day of it. I have since I was in Philadelphia. I cherished it when I was a tight end coach for the Green Bay Packers and quarterback coach for the Green Bay Packers."

The closer was Reid's read on football itself.

"We're just a microcosm of life," Reid said. "You come in, you duke it out, you challenge yourself, you challenge guys around you, they challenge you, and here we go."