For 31 years, Don Shula’s legendary NFL record of 347 total wins has been considered the most unbreakable crown in football coaching history. For a long time, the entire sports world watched Bill Belichick systematically close the gap, assuming the record was his for the taking. But the league moves fast, and since Belichick left to oversee College Ball, history has a new frontrunner. Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk recently pointed out that the door has swung wide open for Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid to accomplish what once seemed impossible and catch Shula himself.

“Reid could end up number one for all-time postseason wins,” Florio said on PFT Live (via X). “So he’s 26 away from catching Belichick for all-time wins, 23 away from catching him for regular season wins. So we thought that Belichick was destined to finish number one ahead of Don Shula. It could be that Reid ends up jumping Belichick in both categories, regular season wins and postseason wins.”

Reid has recorded 279 regular-season wins and 28 playoff victories over 27 seasons as a head coach, with his career split between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Kansas City Chiefs. Bill Belichick, on the other hand, compiled 302 regular-season wins in 467 games across 29 seasons, most of which were collected during his time with the New England Patriots; that speaks to just how consistently good his teams were. Add in a 31-13 playoff record, and you’re looking at one of the most dominant postseason coaches the league has ever seen.

For a while, it looked like Belichick might be the one to finally get there. But the 74-year-old’s winning pace slowed dramatically after quarterback Tom Brady left the New England Patriots in 2020. Without Brady, Belichick went 83–104 overall throughout his coaching career. During his last four-year tenure, the Patriots suffered three losing seasons and only made the playoffs once, culminating in the disastrous 4–13 campaign in 2023. That was the final nail in the coffin of Belichick’s career, as the Patriots front office fired him after that season.

After that, it was widely assumed that a team would hire the six-time Super Bowl-winning head coach. But that wasn’t the case. During the 2024 hiring cycle, NFL owners passed on him due to concerns over his age, his demand for total control over personnel decision-making, and his recent losing record. With no option left, he signed a five-year contract to become the head coach of the University of North Carolina Tar Heels in December 2024. 

This shift gives Andy Reid a significantly smoother road to break Shula’s record. The Chiefs’ head coach is already closing in on Belichick’s postseason wins record, but their paths to greatness couldn’t be more different. Reid accomplished something Belichick never did: pulling two separate, historically struggling franchises out of the gutter and turning both into perennial powerhouses. While Belichick’s legacy is inextricably tied to Tom Brady, Reid was already a future Hall of Famer.

He won 195 games and built consistent championship contenders with Donovan McNabb, Alex Smith, and even backup quarterbacks like Jeff Garcia and A.J Feeley. Yet, the mountain to climb remains Don Shula’s all-time wins record. While Reid has already surpassed Shula in postseason victories and sits just three wins away from eclipsing Belichick’s playoff mark, it is Shula’s 328 regular-season victories that stand as the ultimate test. 

Following the unexpected 2025 season record, Reid is currently 49 regular-season wins away from that target. If the Chiefs average roughly 12 to 13 total wins per season, Reid will break the combined wins record by the 2029 NFL season. The ultimate determining factor is how long Reid chooses to stay on the sidelines. He turned 68 years old in March 2026. While there is a persistent media speculation about his eventual retirement, Kansas City signed Reid to a massive contract extension that keeps him locked in through the 2029 season, at which point he will be 71.

That security hasn’t stopped the outside noise, however, as retirement whispers continue to grow louder with every passing season. That mounting pressure highlights just how incredibly rare it is to even approach this mountaintop. In fact, the only other coach to ever come this close to Shula’s milestone actually predated him. Legendary Chicago Bears founder George Halas spent parts of five decades on the sideline between 1920 and 1967, ultimately compiling 324 total victories. It is an exclusive club of longevity, and one that Reid is now uniquely positioned to conquer.

Andy Reid answers the retirement rumors

Last season, the Chiefs experienced an uncharacteristic 6-11 slump and missed the postseason for the first time in 11 years. A record like that gave rise to some rumors of a potential transition phase. Many in Kansas City thought that Andy Reid might hang up his headset after the 2026 season. But last month, in an interview with Stephen A. Smith, the head coach shut down all those rumors. 

“Yeah, you know, I feel like we’re pretty lucky to be doing what we’re doing. We’re one out of 32 guys in the whole world,” Coach Reid said on Stephen A. Smith’s podcast. “And as long as you still enjoy it, you do it, and if you can keep yourself at the highest level mentally and physically, then you’ve got a you got a chance.

I’ve got all these young guys around me who keep me young. Even though I look old.”

Now the retirement talks have some basis. You see, at 68, Reid is the oldest coach in the league by six years (the next oldest are Todd Bowles, Jim Harbaugh, and Sean Payton, who are all 62). However, NFL insider Jason La Canfora predicted that while Reid is locked in for now, some league insiders predict he may consider “riding off into the sunset” if the Chiefs capture another Super Bowl down the line. 

Chiefs CEO Clark Hunt and the front office have reaffirmed absolute support for Reid, maintaining that his passion for the daily grind has only grown and isn’t going to retire anytime soon.