On paper, the Kansas City Chiefs’ defense took a step forward in 2025.
On the sidelines, Andy Reid is acting like it didn’t.
That contradiction is shaping one of the most uneasy offseasons of Reid’s tenure in Kansas City.
Despite clear statistical improvement across several defensive metrics, the Chiefs just finished 6–11, missed the playoffs, and looked disconnected when it mattered most. The numbers suggest progress. The results demand change.
Reid appears to be siding with the results.
Kansas City allowed fewer yards per game than it did during its 2024 Super Bowl run, dropping from 320.6 to 301.5. Defensive EPA improved from 15th to 12th.
The pass defense tightened. Historically, that level of play has been enough for Reid-led teams, especially with Patrick Mahomes compensating on the other side of the ball.
This time, there was no margin for error.
The season unraveled early and often. Rashee Rice never took the field due to suspension. Xavier Worthy dislocated his shoulder in Week 1. Jawaan Taylor and Josh Simmons went down in Week 13.
Then came the moment that erased any illusion of recovery—Mahomes tore his ACL two weeks later, ending the Chiefs’ season in everything but name.
Without Mahomes, the offense cratered, finishing 20th in the league. And suddenly, the defense was no longer complementary—it was exposed.
The issues weren’t subtle. Kansas City finished with just 14 takeaways, tied for 26th in the NFL, and posted a -1 turnover differential.
The pass rush stalled at 33 sacks. Worse than that, the defense couldn’t close games. In six of their first losses, the Chiefs fell by seven points or fewer, often needing just one stop late to flip the outcome.
They couldn’t find it.
Third-and-long situations became recurring failures. Late drives slipped away. What looked respectable across 60 minutes crumbled in the final five.
That’s the gap Reid is trying to close.
Since January, the Chiefs have parted ways with seven members of the 2025 coaching staff, signaling a reset that goes far beyond cosmetic change.
On offense, Eric Bieniemy has returned as offensive coordinator, replacing Matt Nagy. Running backs coach Todd Pinkson and wide receivers coach Conor were let go. Nate Pagan has been added in a quality control role.
On defense, Reid brought in C.J. Cox, a coach with collegiate experience across multiple positions in the secondary, to add structure and accountability. These are not splashy hires. They are corrective ones.
Reid addressed the shake-up directly this week.
“I want to fix the problems that we had in all phases,” he said. “There will be people that move on, there will be people that come in… Change can be good sometimes for you.”
That statement carries more weight than it might appear. Reid is not known for panic moves. This is only the second time under his leadership that the Chiefs have missed the playoffs.
For him to overhaul staff despite measurable defensive improvement suggests a deeper conclusion: the system worked statistically, but failed situationally.
And situational football is where seasons are decided.
The Chiefs don’t need a defense that looks good on spreadsheets. They need one that takes the ball away, collapses pockets, and ends games.
Reid knows Mahomes won’t always be there to mask deficiencies—and 2025 proved how fragile that assumption is.
The reset is risky. Change always is. But standing still would have been riskier.
As the Chiefs move toward 2026, the message from the top is clear: improvement without impact is not enough. Not in Kansas City. Not anymore.
And if the numbers say progress while the coach says otherwise, it’s worth asking—
Which one should fans believe?
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