Arrowhead Stadium felt different this winter.
The Kansas City Chiefs finished 6-11 in 2025, missed the playoffs, and are now navigating multiple coaching changes as they prepare for the 2026 NFL season.
For Andy Reid, this is unfamiliar territory. He has completed his 13th season in Kansas City, overseeing one of the league’s defining dynasties.
With three Super Bowl titles in five appearances, the Chiefs became the NFL’s benchmark for sustained success. According to Pro Football Reference, the 2025 campaign marked the franchise’s worst record since 2012, the season before Reid arrived.
The setback was not just about wins and losses. Kansas City had reached the postseason in 10 of Reid’s first 12 seasons. Missing out in 2025 was only the second time it happened under his leadership.
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Rod Wilson’s departure signals continued staff turnover
The latest move involves Rod Wilson, who has accepted the inside linebackers coaching position with the Arizona Cardinals.
Wilson spent seven seasons with Kansas City across two separate stints. He joined the staff in 2017 as assistant special teams coach, returned in 2022 as a defensive assistant, and earned a promotion to outside linebackers coach in 2024. He worked closely with defenders such as Nick Bolton, Drue Tranquill, and Leo Chenal.
His departure adds to a growing list of offseason changes. Offensive coordinator Matt Nagy left for the New York Giants, while defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo was retained. The Chiefs also brought back Eric Bieniemy to help reshape the offense.
Analysts on ESPN and NFL Network have described the turnover as unusual for a franchise that once built its edge on continuity and staff stability.
A different offseason than usual
This offseason feels different in tone and urgency.
Free agency officially opens March 11, according to the NFL’s 2026 league calendar. The Chiefs enter that window facing key roster decisions after a season that fell short on both sides of the ball.
In recent years, Kansas City operated from a position of control. Now, the focus has shifted toward depth, financial flexibility, and adjustments needed to remain competitive in an AFC that includes the Buffalo Bills and Cincinnati Bengals, both consistent postseason contenders.
As one league analyst recently summarized on national television, “Continuity was always part of Kansas City’s formula.” That formula is now evolving.
Pressure builds ahead of 2026
Reid has rebuilt before. When he arrived in 2013, the Chiefs were coming off a 2-14 season. The turnaround was immediate, and the franchise became a perennial contender.
This moment carries a different weight. Expectations remain high, but the margin for error is thinner than it has been in years.
Staff hires, free agency decisions, and training camp adjustments will define the tone of the 2026 season. Kansas City is not tearing down its foundation, but it is clearly recalibrating.
Whether the 6-11 season becomes a brief interruption or the start of a broader transition will depend on how effectively Reid and his reshaped staff respond over the coming months.
Information based on official team records, NFL league calendar announcements, Pro Football Reference historical data, and publicly reported coaching moves confirmed by league and team statements.
