By Robert Marvi

Copyright newsweek

When people debate who the greatest coach in NFL history is, the name Bill Belichick almost invariably comes up. It makes lots of sense, as he won six Super Bowl championships with the New England Patriots and almost always had them in contention as long as they were healthy with legendary quarterback Tom Brady at quarterback.

But some nitpick his legacy and point out his mediocre record without Brady by his side. When Belichick didn’t have Brady under center, his teams were under .500 and had little success during the playoffs.

Longtime NFL reporter Albert Breer says he had long considered Belichick the greatest coach in NFL history. But he now seems to feel Andy Reid, the head coach of the Kansas City Chiefs, may have a legitimate claim as the best coach the league has seen because of his success without Patrick Mahomes.

I’ve long felt Belichick was the GOAT. But now …• Reid w/o Mahomes: 184-123-1, 13 playoff berths, 8 division titles, 1 SB, 11 playoff wins, 8 Top 10 offenses.• Belichick w/o Brady: 83-101, 2 playoff berths, 0 division titles, 0 SBs, 1 playoff win, 0 Top 10 offenses.— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) October 9, 2025

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Brady left the Patriots following the 2019 season, amidst a publicized feud between him and Belichick. But in four subsequent seasons as New England’s coach, Belichick had one winning season and one trip to the playoffs.

FOXBORO, MA – JANUARY 16: Head coach Bill Belichick of the New England Patriots and head coach Andy Reid of the Kansas City Chiefs shake hands after the AFC Divisional Playoff Game at Gillette Stadium on January 16, 2016 in Foxboro, Massachusetts. The Patriots defeated the Chiefs 27-20. (Photo by Jim Rogash/Getty Images)

Reid, on the other hand, coached many competitive teams that finished with winning records before Mahomes came to Kansas City. He coached the Philadelphia Eagles from 1999 to 2012 and had a regular-season record of 224-130 during that time, and he guided them to the NFC Championship Game five times and a Super Bowl appearance during the 2004 season. Reid’s Eagles lost to Belichick’s Patriots in Super Bowl XXXIX, 24-21.

Reid, of course, has been climbing the list of coaches with the most Super Bowl wins, as he has three so far. Right now, however, his team is struggling with a 2-3 record after a surprising 31-28 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars this past Monday.

Many still feel the Chiefs, by virtue of their championship pedigree, will be OK in the long run. But with a big game this Sunday against the 4-1 Detroit Lions, they could be in trouble before long.

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Belichick, of course, is currently the head coach at the University of North Carolina, and he’s currently facing criticism because he allegedly wants to exit his contract in order to return to the NFL. He’s just 26 wins shy of Don Shula’s all-time NFL record, and one has to think that’s a record he would want to own all to himself.

Reid is fourth on the all-time wins list with 275, which is 27 fewer than Belichick.

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