Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes are one of the best coach-quarterback pairs in the NFL today – if not the best. However, they have only won one Super Bowl together despite five-straight AFC Championship Game appearances.
The Chiefs’ duo is currently 1-1 in two Super Bowl appearances. They came back against the 49ers to win Super Bowl LIV but got blown out by the Buccaneers the following year.
This will be Mahomes’ third Super Bowl appearance and Reid’s fourth. They’ve both only won one Super Bowl in their careers. Another Super Bowl loss could put the two in a different light.
Elliott Shor-Parks of the Audacy Original Podcast “The Best Football Show” explained why Super Bowl LVII could be a legacy-defining game for Reid and Mahomes.
“I think when you think about Super Bowls, obviously, it determines legacies, right? Tom Brady just retired, best quarterback ever. Why? Not because of his physical traits, but because the guy won seven Super Bowls,” Shorr-Parks said (2:09 in player above). “Dan Marino never won a Super Bowl. Aaron Rodgers won one early in his career and never won one again. Those things matter when you talk about legacies.”
While Nick Sirianni and Jalen Hurts are about to take part in their first Super Bowl, Reid and Mahomes are looking to make up for their loss to the Buccaneers in Super Bowl LV. That puts all the pressure on the Chiefs while the Eagles are already ahead of schedule.
“The people that have the pressure on them and the two that really do have a lot on the line when it comes to legacies is Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid,” he continued. “For Andy, there is a ton on the line here. If he wins this Super Bowl, he gets to two Super Bowls, then he really, really becomes in the discussion for the best head coach of all time.”
Reid was long known as a coach that couldn’t win the big game. That defined his career in Philadelphia and some still point to that despite him winning a Super Bowl with the Chiefs. If he loses this one against his former team, those criticisms might get louder.
“Mahomes as well is in a situation where this Super Bowl is big when it comes to his legacy,” Shorr-Parks said. “Mahomes is obviously an outstanding player but again, I brought up Aaron Rodgers early on, he does have similar qualities in a way to Aaron Rodgers at least so far in his career in the way that physically he’s unbelievable to watch… but if he loses this Super Bowl, he will have lost two Super Bowls versus won one. He will have lost at home in the championship game (twice), so he’ll have that on his track record. And just like Rodgers, when Mahomes won his first Super Bowl the discussion was ‘well, it’s not a matter of when he’ll win his next one, it’s a matter of how many he’ll win.’
“Aaron Rodgers ended up never winning another Super Bowl and he won one, so he’s not in that Dan Marino type of discussion, but I do think there is a part of the Aaron Rodgers story that is early on when talking about him that will be brought up as this guy never won another Super Bowl and came up small in the playoffs. Mahomes isn’t there yet but if he loses on Sunday, that becomes part of the narrative. Then it becomes yeah, Mahomes is great, but he’s only really won one Super Bowl and he’s had a chance to win more. He’s been bad in those games.”
Mahomes threw two interceptions, including one in overtime, in last year’s AFC Championship Game loss to the Bengals. The Chiefs’ offensive line had its own problems during the Super Bowl loss to the Buccaneers, but Kansas City only scored three field goals and Mahomes threw two interceptions in that game as well.
Sunday gives Mahomes a chance to erase those missteps – or add on to them.
Nevertheless, this Super Bowl could go a long way in determining how Mahomes and Reid are viewed.
“If the Chiefs lose it … I think the message is why aren’t Mahomes and Andy winning championships more?” Shorr-Parks said. “Andy Reid would have one Super Bowl in four attempts. Mahomes will have won one Super Bowl in three attempts. Things change quickly in the NFL and narratives change quickly and people’s careers are always in very different places…
“There is more pressure on Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid to win than there is Nick Sirianni and Jalen Hurts. It can be a legacy-defining game and a legacy-defining Sunday for Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes.”
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