The question of who could follow a coaching legend like Andy Reid in Kansas City looms large, but one of his former players believes he has the definitive answer. While it won’t happen anytime soon, Bucky Brooks believes Kansas City’s offensive coordinator, Eric Bieniemy, could succeed Reid.

“Whether or not Eric Bieniemy is the best play caller or tactician doesn’t matter,” Brooks said. “His presence provided something within that locker room in terms of accountability, discipline, & detail. The elusive thing that’s gotten away from him is a head coaching job. His best opportunity to probably land a head coaching job would be from within in Kansas City because there’d be enough people that could advocate for him (Patrick Mahomes). If and when Andy Reid walks away, Eric’s better served to get that job than any other.”

Reid is 67 and already a three-time Super Bowl-winning head coach at the Kansas City Chiefs. Along the way, he’s compiled a 279-157-1 regular-season record and a 28-17 mark in the postseason. While Reid is expected to remain the Chiefs’ leader for a few more years, the reality is that Kansas City will eventually have to think about succession.

When that conversation comes up, Brooks has already placed Bieniemy firmly at the top of the list. The reasoning isn’t hard to follow. For starters, the Chiefs moved on from Matt Nagy and brought Bieniemy back as offensive coordinator in 2026.

The record Bieniemy carries from his previous stint in that role speaks for itself. During his five seasons as Kansas City’s OC from 2018 to 2022, the Chiefs never finished lower than sixth in points scored. The breakdown tells the story:

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• 2018: Ranked 1st with 35.3 PPG
• 2019: Ranked 5th with 28.2 PPG
• 2020: Ranked 6th with 29.6 PPG
• 2021: Ranked 4th with 28.2 PPG
• 2022: Ranked 1st with 29.2 PPG

That run also coincided with Patrick Mahomes becoming the Chiefs’ starting quarterback in Bieniemy’s first season as OC. Since then, Mahomes has stacked multiple MVP awards, three Super Bowl titles, and three Super Bowl MVPs. At the same time, Bieniemy oversaw some of Travis Kelce’s best years, including five straight 1,000-plus-yard seasons. Before that era ended, the Chiefs also enjoyed Tyreek Hill at the peak of his powers with Bieniemy calling the plays.

Now Bieniemy is back in Kansas City, and his impact goes beyond the numbers. He knows the locker room, especially Mahomes and Kelce. When Nagy wasn’t expected to return in 2026, Mahomes made it clear he wanted an OC who holds players accountable. That’s exactly the reputation Bieniemy brings, having never been shy about making his voice heard in practices or during games. Kelce echoed that sentiment even before the hire became official.

“I can’t wait to see him back in the building, man,” Kelce said. “He’s one of my favorite coaches of all time, one of my favorite people of all time. I’ve had so many unbelievable growing moments under him as a player, as a person, and I just love the guy. It’s gonna be awesome to see him back in the building and see him back wearing the Chiefs logo, baby.”

All of that makes it clear Bieniemy isn’t just bringing familiarity or past success back to Kansas City. He’s also bringing a presence that the locker room already respects and responds to. And that, more than anything, is what Brooks believes could matter when the Chiefs eventually have to identify their next head coach.

For now, Andy Reid remains in charge. But when the time does come for him to walk away, Brooks sees Bieniemy as a natural and fitting successor.

Andy Reid receives bad news for the AFC West

The Chiefs are coming off a 6–11 season, their worst record in more than a decade. That finish tells a pretty clear story: Kansas City is headed for a serious offseason reset, with expectations that they’ll try to fall back into familiar territory, winning the AFC West.

But at least for now, bookmakers aren’t convinced that it will happen in 2026. Instead, the early favorite to take the division crown is the Los Angeles Chargers.

ESPN Bet recently shared updated DraftKings odds for the 2026 AFC West race. According to those numbers, the Chargers lead the way at +170 to win the division. The Chiefs follow closely at +175, with the Denver Broncos listed at +215 and the Las Vegas Raiders all the way back at +2500. And when you look at how last season played out, the logic behind those odds isn’t hard to follow.

Justin Herbert put together an efficient campaign despite dealing with a shaky offensive line. The Chargers quarterback threw for 3,727 yards, completed 66.4 percent of his passes, and accounted for 26 touchdowns. On the other side, Mahomes is coming off a down year by his standards. Kansas City’s franchise quarterback finished the 2025 season with 3,587 passing yards, 22 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions.

The Chiefs still have time to swing the odds back in their favor, especially with Andy Reid leading the operation. But that likely requires some meaningful roster changes this offseason. Whether Kansas City reclaims its usual spot atop the AFC West or the projections hold steady will ultimately be decided once the 2026 season unfolds.