Jon Gruden Will Replace Andy Reid as the Chiefs Head Coach

As the 2025 NFL season approaches, so does the outlook for how team’s seasons will go, and the aftermath depending on certain results. For the Kansas City Chiefs, they are going to be entering a very uncertain season after their Super Bowl loss to the Philadelphia Eagles.

If the Chiefs face setbacks, and fall short of the Super Bowl, before any further decline happens Andy Reid could end up retiring at the end of this season. It is a harsh reality for the Chiefs to start preparing for, but they have to get their options ready for when the inevitable does happen.

For Kansas City, there is one prime candidate they can turn their focus towards hiring if this does become the case.

Kansas City Chiefs Hire Jon Gruden to Replace Andy Reid 

Things didn’t end well for Jon Gruden’s head coaching tenure with the Las Vegas Raiders as he had to resign in 2021 after controversial emails surfaced from when he was an ESPN analyst. Despite this, Gruden is still a great head coaching candidate, and returning to coach the Chiefs would be beneficial for both sides.

Andy Reid’s Future as the Chiefs’ Head Coach

Reid has accomplished numerous achievements since becoming the Chiefs’ head coach. He is the winningest coach in Chiefs’ history with 143 wins since 2013, and is one of just three coaches to reach six Super Bowls with the two other coaches being Bill Belichick, and Don Shula.

Reid has solidified his legacy as a head coach, but he is 67 and will be 68 by the 2026 season. As much as Reid loves coaching and the teaching aspect, he will have to start taking his family into consideration and spending more time with them as well. That could just end up being after this 2025 season depending on how it plays out.

Jon Gruden is the Chiefs’ Ideal Replacement for Andy Reid

While numerous people would be lining up to take the head coaching job in Kansas City, it is Jon Gruden that is the ideal candidate to take over for Andy Reid.

With Gruden, he and Reid are friends, knowing each other for 30-plus years when they worked together on the Green Bay Packers between 1992 to 1994. Reid would be able to know if it was Gruden taking over that the winning culture would be upheld, and that Gruden would continue the standard set by Reid due to their similar passion, and love for the game.

That passion was showcased from Gruden on a recent episode of the Fitz and Whit podcast, saying “I miss it, I’m scratching that itch, though, right here — I’ve had more people come in here in the past few weeks than probably any coach in the league. College guys, NFL guys. I’m studying every day, scratching that itch. I would like one more chance to do it because I thought we had that team on the right trajectory.”

Patrick Mahomes has even spoken glowingly about Gruden in the past for his offensive mind and the work he has done. The vote of confidence from Mahomes would help as well with Gruden being able to gain respect quickly around the Chiefs locker room, in addition to his outgoing personality. 

Gruden knows the AFC West too from his time coaching the Raiders, and would overall be able to keep the Chiefs’ recent success consistent due to his experience as a head coach, and knowledge for the game as a whole. Having Reid retire would be a loss for the Chiefs, but Gruden as the replacement would provide the spark needed to keep the moral up for the future.