Andy Reid

Andy Reid Not Involved In Chiefs GM Search

Chiefs head coach Andy Reid has played “little to no role” in the club’s general manager interview process, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (Twitter link), who reports owner Clark Hunt and president Mark Donovan are leading Kansas City’s search.Andy Reid

As La Canfora notes, Reid’s lack of presence in the Chiefs’ GM quest further confirms previous reports that it was Hunt — not Reid — who was responsible for firing general manager John Dorsey. Indeed, sources told Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star last month that Dorsey’s ouster was prompted by Hunt’s concern about Dorsey’s lack of internal communication and casual management style.

[Dorsey]’s not a big disciplinarian or big on chain of command,” one source said, “so people did what they wanted.”

Although Reid is not overly involved in the Chiefs’ GM search, and reportedly won’t take on a larger personnel role, that doesn’t mean his fingerprints aren’t on the club’s hunt. Kansas City co-director of player personnel Brett Veach and ESPN commentator Louis Riddick, considered the top candidates for the Chiefs vacancy, both have professional ties to Reid. Earlier today, La Canfora indicated Veach could be promoted LINK to general manager before the start of training camp.

Reaction To Chiefs Firing GM John Dorsey

On the same day they announced a four-year extension for head coach Andy Reid, the Chiefs shocked the NFL world by firing general manager John Dorsey. Let’s take a look at some of the reaction and fallout from Dorsey’s dismissal:

  • Despite what owner Clark Hunt stated in the Chiefs’ press release, Kansas City and Dorsey did not “agree to part ways,” a source tells Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Rather, the Chiefs decided to fire Dorsey, and the decision was made by Hunt, not Reid, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk.
  • The Chiefs weren’t pleased with how Dorsey handled contract negotiations with the team’s premier players such as Justin Houston and Eric Berry, reports Tom Pelissero of USA Today (Twitter link). Kansas City waited until the last minute to work out deals with Houston and Berry (after using the franchise tag on both), and the delay in talks ended up costing the Chiefs down the line.
  • Dorsey reportedly told a confidant that he and Hunt were “butting heads” within the past two months, tweets Jason Cole of Bleacher Report. Dorsey didn’t elaborate on the issue at hand, but it conceivably could have been related to how Dorsey handled Houston and Berry’s contracts, or about Dorsey’s own pact with the Chiefs.
  • Reactions to Dorsey’s firing — both inside and outside the Chiefs organization — were ones of immense surprise. Those around were the league were “stunned” and “dumbfounded,” per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link), while Kansas City staffers were just as shocked,as Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star writes. “It caught everybody off guard,” said a team source. “Nobody saw it coming. Nobody knows (what happened) because everybody is out of the building.”
  • Reid will not take on a more active role in personnel, according to Sam Mellinger of the Kansas City Star. Reid, notably, was the Eagles’ de facto general manager from 2001-12. Additionally, Reid and the new general manager will both separately report to Hunt, the same arrangement utilized by the Reid and Dorsey tandem.

Chiefs, Andy Reid Agree To Extension

The Chiefs have signed coach Andy Reid to a contract extension, according to a team announcement. It’s a four-year extension, keeping him under contract through 2021, according to Tom Pelissero of USA Today (on Twitter). Andy Reid

[RELATED: Chiefs Fire GM John Dorsey]

My family and I have been very pleased by the success the franchise has sustained over the last four seasons under Coach Reid,” Chiefs Chairman and CEO Clark Hunt said. “He has already established himself as one of the best coaches in the league, and he is well on his way to solidifying a place among the all-time greats. We are proud to have him leading our football team, and I look forward to working with him to bring a championship to Chiefs Kingdom.”

Reid is entering his fifth year Kansas City and his 19th season as an NFL head coach. He owns a career regular season record of 173-114 (.602) and has 184 wins in total if you include the postseason. That total win count puts him second among active NFL head coaches, trailing only Bill Belichick (260). After helping KC reach the playoffs three times in the last four years, an extension was widely expected.

I’d like to thank Clark and the entire Hunt family for the opportunity to continue my coaching career here in Kansas City,” Reid said. “We’ve made quite a bit of progress over the last four seasons, but we are not done yet. We are going to continue to work towards our ultimate goal of winning championships. I’ve been blessed by the support of the community, our fans, the Hunt family and the entire Chiefs staff. I’m looking forward to the years ahead as the head coach of the Kansas City Chiefs.”

Last year, Reid’s Chiefs finished with a 12-4 record and captured the AFC West title. After securing a first-round bye, the Chiefs lost to the Steelers in the divisional round. This year, they’ll hope for a better outcome.

Chiefs Plan To Extend John Dorsey, Andy Reid

While Chiefs general manager John Dorsey and head coach Andy Reid are on track to enter contract years in 2017, chairman Clark Hunt would like to change that. Hunt is “very satisfied” with how the franchise has fared under Dorsey and Reid and will look to ink the pair to extensions this offseason, he told Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star on Friday.

Andy Reid

“Both [John] and Andy … I would expect to sit down with them over the course of the next year and sit down and talk about an extension,” said Hunt.

It’s no surprise that the Chiefs are interested in a new deal for Reid, as ESPN’s Adam Schefter first reported last month that the club plans to extend the 58-year-old. Reid, who coached the Eagles from 1999-2012, joined the Chiefs in advance of the 2013 season and has since helped the franchise to a 43-21 regular-season record and three playoff appearances. Kansas City has gone just 1-3 in the playoffs under Reid, though, and was one-and-done last month after winning the highly competitive AFC West with a 12-4 mark.

The postseason troubles the Chiefs have endured with Reid at the helm haven’t hurt his standing in Hunt’s eyes, however. Reid, who’s among the NFL’s highest-paid coaches at $7.5MM per year, has “done a great job,” per Hunt.

As for the front office, the Chiefs just watched well-regarded player personnel director Chris Ballard depart to become the Colts’ GM, so it’s possible their urgency to extend Dorsey and keep him from leaving has increased. Dorsey was previously with Green Bay from 2000-12 and has come up as a possibility to eventually return there to succeed his former boss, 64-year-old GM Ted Thompson. Since exiting Wisconsin in 2013 to grab the reins of a a KC team that won just two games in 2012, Dorsey has added crucial pieces like Alex Smith, Tyreek Hill, Jeremy Maclin, Travis Kelce, Eric Fisher, Spencer Ware, Dee Ford, Marcus Peters, Jaye Howard and Chris Jones, among others, to the team’s roster. In doing so, he has helped turn the Chiefs into perennial playoff contenders.

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 Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Chiefs To Pursue Extension For Andy Reid

The Chiefs will try to extend head coach Andy Reid‘s contract this offseason, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Reid, who is under contract through the 2017 season, has certainly earned an extension, having compiled a 43-21 record as Kansas City’s head coach.

Dec 25, 2016; Kansas City, MO, USA; Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid walks on the sidelines during the first half against the Denver Broncos at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

Reid, of course, served as the Eagles’ head coach for 14 seasons prior to joining the Chiefs in 2013, and though he was not able to bring the elusive Lombardi Trophy to Philadelphia, he did put together 120 regular season wins to go along with 10 more playoff victories, six division titles, and five trips to the NFC Championship Game. Of those five NFC Championship Game appearances, though, the Eagles won only one, which contributed to Reid’s dismissal at the end of the 2012 campaign.

Kansas City has made the playoffs in three of Reid’s four seasons at the helm and captured their first AFC West title under his watch this year. They also earned a first-round bye this season and will take on either the Steelers or Texans in the divisional round of the playoffs next week.

Reid, 58, was already among the game’s highest-paid coaches, with a $7.5MM annual salary. If he receives a raise of any significance to go along with his extension, he could become the highest-paid coach in the league.

Extra Points: Cowboys, Rams, Bills, Henry, Ford

Here’s the latest from around the league, beginning with two Southern California training camp teams who aren’t jumping at the chance to reconvene for joint practices.

  • Despite the teams now training near Los Angeles, Cowboys and Rams aren’t planning to partake in another training camp scrimmage due to the brawl that occurred last year when the teams had joint practices in Oxnard, Calif., Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports. The Rams will be training at UC-Irvine this year, but Jason Garrett hasn’t engaged in any discussions on bringing the teams together again.
  • The Bills expect clarity on Percy Harvin‘s health status in the ensuing two weeks, Tyler Dunne of the Buffalo News reports. Doug Whaley and Rex Ryan are open to the UFA returning despite Buffalo’s $6.9MM left in cap space. Harvin, whose troublesome hip issues ended up sidelining him for the season last November, would have to compete with newly signed Leonard Hankerson and players like Olympic long jump hopeful Marquise Goodwin for the Bills’ No. 3 receiver spot, however, and do so having missed 36 games over the past four seasons.
  • An NFC personnel man rates Arkansas’ Hunter Henry as the most complete tight end to be available in the draft in a long time, Mark Eckel of NJ.com reports. The unidentified evaluator sees Henry as a fit with the Jets, whose tight ends caught just eight passes last season after Jace Amaro missed the year with an injury. “I never liked Amaro,” the personnel man told Eckel. “(Hunter) is tons better than Amaro. Where do I see him going? That’s a tough question. (No. 20) might be a little soon, but he’s a first rounder. He’s definitely a first-rounder.”
  • Dee Ford figures to have a bigger role with the Chiefs in his third season. How much bigger will likely be determined by Justin Houston‘s health. John Dorsey and Andy Reid saw flashes of brilliance, per Terez Paylor of the Kansas City Star, with Reid saying one of last season’s takeaways was finding out that Ford was “a pretty good football player.” The player who would be opposite Ford in a Houston-less look, Tamba Hali, believes the third-year player — who has been mostly buried behind Houston and Hali in his two seasons — needs to develop further mentally. “If I had to speak for him, I would like for him to take the next step in being a professional … basically (the reason) why they drafted him here is to take over the (starting) role. The season’s too long for me to focus on being a starter or a backup,” Hali said. “I think he’s in the position where he can kind of take the torch and go forward. That’s really mental; physically, the kid is gifted and he has it. But mentally we have to just make sure that he understands why we’re in this building and what needs to be done while we’re here.”
  • Former Ravens defensive tackle Terrence Cody has been handed a nine-month sentence in his animal cruelty case, as Pat Warren of CBS Baltimore writes. Cody was found guilty of negligence in the death of his canary mastiff who was starved to death. However, he was not found guilty of felony animal abuse because the court did not find his actions intentional, according to his lawyer. PETA issued a statement following the sentencing and implored the NFL to do more to combat animal abuse amongst its players.

Zach Links contributed to this report

Chiefs Docked Two Draft Picks, Fined $250K

The Chiefs signed Jeremy Maclin during free agency last year, and now the NFL is imposing discipline on the club for the path it took to land the receiver. The Chiefs will forfeit a third-round pick this year and a sixth-rounder in 2017 because of a violation of the league’s anti-tampering policy (Twitter link via Mike Rodak of ESPN.com). Additionally, the league has fined the team $250K, head coach Andy Reid $75K, and general manager John Dorsey $25K.

The Chiefs allegedly had contact with Maclin during the league’s legal tampering window prior to free agency, but that’s not allowed. Teams are only permitted to talk with player representatives in that time frame.

Chiefs owner Clark Hunt has issued a statement in response to the league’s decision (via the team’s website):

“Today we were informed by the National Football League that our club will be disciplined for an infraction during the 2015 free agency negotiating period.

“While we respect Commissioner Goodell and the process, we believe that the penalties proposed in this case are inconsistent with discipline enforced in similar matters – particularly given the league’s inconsistent communication of its policies on contact with potential free agents.

“As an organization, we take great care to conduct ourselves with integrity and operate within the guidelines of the NFL. We have been fully cooperative and transparent with the league in this matter, and we are disappointed with the league’s decision. I want to make it clear that I fully support the leadership of both Coach Reid and John Dorsey. We will continue to explore our options under the appeal process.”

An appeal is indeed on the way, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link).

AFC Rumors: Bolts, Reid, Miller, Jets, Titans

A Chargers-led citizen’s initiative could help solve stadium cost issues at the Mission Valley, Calif., site that hovered at the center of discussions prior to the Bolts’ Carson overtures, David Garrick of the San Diego Union-Tribune reports.

This process involves the sale of 75 acres of the 166-acre Qualcomm Stadium site, a transaction that could net $225MM that would go toward funding the proposed $1.1 billion Chargers stadium, San Diego mayor Kevin Faulconer’s task force’s estimates. That would help significantly, considering the new stadium still requires $350MM in taxpayer funds to go along with $300MM from the NFL and additional money generated by personal seat licenses, among other streams of revenue.

They did it in Carson and another group of lawyers did it in Inglewood, so it certainly could be done in San Diego in pretty much the same way,” city attorney Jerry Goldsmith told Garrick. “It would involve re-zoning; it would involve voter approval of not only a stadium but ancillary development, and it would include bypassing the California Environmental Quality Act if it’s done right.”

Garrick, however, makes it clear the Chargers haven’t committed to pursue this route, as the sides still have a long way to go before anything substantial emerges in this long-running saga.

Let’s take a look at the latest transpiring in the AFC.

  • Andy Reid won’t join the Chiefs‘ contingent at next week’s NFL Scouting Combine due to knee replacement surgery, Adam Teicher of ESPN.com reports. The 57-year-old coach had this surgery last year and attended the Combine, but he missed this year’s Senior Bowl and won’t trek to Indianapolis as well.
  • The Jets have engaged in contract talks with Chris Ivory‘s camp, but Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News believes the seventh-year running back will test the market. Ivory would join Lamar Miller, Doug Martin and Matt Forte as free agency’s top ball-carriers, should Gang Green fail to keep him off the market.
  • Lamar Miller‘s roots in Miami could induce the Dolphins to give him a low-ball offer in free agency and incite the fifth-year running back to bolt, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk writes. Miller attended the University of Miami and was born in the city in which he played his first four NFL seasons. Florio also speculates DeMarco Murray‘s first-year flop with the Eagles will make it harder for this year’s crop of fifth-year runners, Miller and Martin, to receive a Murray-like deal.
  • The Titans will address the wide receiver position in the draft, Jim Wyatt of Titans.com writes in a mailbag. Coming off his worst season, Kendall Wright currently is set to enter his fifth-year option campaign, and Justin Hunter is also entering a contract year. Wyatt notes the team’s investment in the position will not come at No. 1 overall, given that there isn’t a wide receiver that’s projected to possess that kind of value.

West Notes: Berry, Hali, Seahawks, Rams

As expected, Andy Reid didn’t do much prioritizing when it came to pinpointing which of the Chiefs‘ free agents will return, but he did single out the one likely residing at the top of the itinerary.

I think he wants to be here. We want him to be here. The agents and our people need to get with him, they’ll deal with all that, work through all that. But I like Eric Berry. I can tell you, I love Eric Berry,” Reid told media, including Dave Skretta of the Associated Press.

Berry will be the top safety on the market and one of the top players available as an unrestricted free agent. The Pro Bowl safety played out his entire rookie contract, a six-year deal worth $60MM, from the old CBA that was much friendlier to first-round selections.

Obviously,” Berry told media, when asked if he wants to return to the Chiefs. “This is family. At the same time, we’ll sit down and talk about it when we talk about it. But right now I’m just thankful for my teammates, my coaches and everybody that has something to do with me being back on the field this year. This is something special.”

The Chiefs could have their franchise tag ready if talks with the 27-year-old cancer survivor stall. The remainder of the Chiefs’ free agent class includes a number of expiring deals from their top-flight defense. Sean Smith, Derrick Johnson, Tamba Hali and Jaye Howard are free agents.

Kansas City possess $31.62MM in salary cap space, according to OverTheCap.

Here is the latest coming out of the Western divisions.

  • Hali’s path may lead to retirement or back to Kansas City, with Skretta noting it’s unlikely the 32-year-old outside linebacker will head elsewhere. The former first-round pick and career Chief told media after the Chiefs’ loss to the Patriots he would contemplate his future after spending most of this season not practicing due to knee trouble. Hali renegotiated his deal last season to help Kansas City with its cap. Of course, with the Chiefs having some lucrative free agents to consider retaining in hopes of keeping that strong defense intact, Hali’s third Chiefs contract won’t be nearly as hefty as the five year, $60MM deal he signed in 2011. Though Hali, a Pro Bowler this season and a top-10 edge player as graded by Pro Football Focus, could still command a reasonable accord on the open market if he sought such a path. “I know some of these (free agents) are going to return. That’s how it rolls. Which ones and how it works into the (salary) cap and all that, that’s (GM John) Dorsey‘s baby there,” Reid said.
  • The Chiefs will have their lowest first-round pick in 20 years after their 11-5 season ended in the divisional playoffs. They will pick 28th, lowest of the teams eliminated this weekend, according to Darin Gantt of Pro Football Talk. The Steelers, Seahawks and Packers will pick 25th, 26th and 27th, respectively, based on a schedule strength tiebreaker.
  • Bruce Irvin told media, including Sheil Kapadia of ESPN.com, he will take less money on his second contract to stay with the Seahawks. Irvin said both John Schneider and Pete Carroll asked him if he’d accept a below-market deal Monday. “Pete and John asked me that when I met with them today. If it came to that, I would definitely come back. $3, $4 million? $3, $4, $5 million? I would definitely come back because I’m established here,” Irvin said. The Seahawks did not pick up Irvin’s fifth-year option last year, making the edge-rusher an unrestricted free agent. The January gesture may not hold a lot of weight come March, per Joel Corry of CBSSports.com, who tweets Irvin’s agent, Joel Segal, won’t be interested in seeing Irvin take a hometown discount after he pushed the Chiefs to give Justin Houston a record deal last summer. Russell Okung, Jeremy Lane and Jermaine Kearse are among the Seahawks’ notable UFAs, with Marshawn Lynch‘s $6.5MM in cap savings likely to benefit toward this cause as well.
  • Carroll told media, including Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times, he’d like to bring back Christine Michael, a UFA who bounced around this year before re-signing with Seattle. Michael averaged 4.9 yards per carry with the Seahawks and 3.4 per rush with the Cowboys this season.
  • Stan Kroenke is borrowing approximately $1 billion from JPMorgan Chase for his new Inglewood stadium, Daniel Kaplan of Sports Business Daily tweets. The stadium’s expected to cost a record $2.7 billion, and Kroenke’s $1 billion loan would represent one of the largest ever taken for a stadium, according to Elyse Glickman of the Los Angeles Business Journal.

Chiefs To Retain Andy Reid, John Dorsey For 2016

Despite the Chiefs being one of the most disappointing teams thus far this season, team chairman Clark Hunt said both Andy Reid and GM John Dorsey‘s jobs are safe, even if this season spirals into a top-5 or top-10 draft choice, Terez Paylor of the Kansas City Star reports (on Twitter).

This lengthy leash from a franchise that hasn’t won a playoff game since January 1994 may not appease some fans, but the Chiefs did qualify for the playoffs at 11-5 two seasons ago after going 2-14 in 2012 under Scott Pioli and Romeo Crennel.

Both Reid and Dorsey arrived in 2013, from the Eagles and Packers, respectively, and have yet to experience a losing season in Kansas City. Although their first seems likely this year, which necessitated the inquiry about the duo’s job status. They’ve gone 22-17 since arriving.

The Chiefs’ five losing seasons from 2007-12 probably help this tandem’s job security. They held top-10 draft picks in 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2013.

I have confidence in Andy and John. … I think they’re the right guys to lead us. Not just this year, but going forward,” Hunt told media from London.

The Chiefs have several impending free agents — from Eric Berry and Sean Smith, to Tamba Hali and Derrick Johnson — but the player most tied to the Reid-Dorsey regime will almost certainly be back as a result of this decision. A year after signing a five-year extension, Alex Smith will carry nearly $25MM in dead money onto next year’s salary cap, making a separation from the polarizing signal-caller unrealistic despite the Chiefs’ struggles this season.