On January 7, 2013, the history of the Kansas City Chiefs, like everyone knew before, changed forever. A team that was coming off a 2-14 record had just fired its GM, Scott Pioli, and head coach, Romeo Crennel. So, with a complete revamp of the organization needed, the Philadelphia Eagles came to their rescue. Yeah, that’s right. Their decision to fire Andy Reid not only took the Eagles organization in a new direction. They allowed the Chiefs to become what they are today. But, why did they fire Reid?

So, here’s how everything went down, from the Eagles sacking Reid to his hiring by the Chiefs. Make no mistake—Reid was an all-time winningest head coach in Philadelphia during his 14-year tenure. In those 14 years, he led the Phillies to nine postseason berths, five NFC Championship games, and a single Super Bowl appearance. However, by the time his 14th season in Philadelphia arrived, Reid was already the bookies’ favorite to face the sack. He had fans all season calling for his sack, with boos ringing all over Lincoln Field every time the Eagles lost.

Well, that season was indeed a disappointing one for Reid and somewhat tarnished the legacy that he had in Philadelphia. After narrowly missing out on the playoffs in 2011 with an 8-8 record, Reid’s final season was off to a great start: 3-1. But things soon spiraled out of control for the Eagles, who went on to lose eight straight games. This threw them out of playoff contention, meaning another season went in the bin. So, with the Eagles consistently underperforming under Reid, owner Jeffrey Lurie had to make a strong decision. And that decision changed the landscape of the NFL forever.

“When you have a season like that, it’s embarrassing. It’s personally crushing to me, and it’s terrible,” Lurie said to ESPN was sacking Reid. Now, that move paid off well for both franchises. The Eagles, after moving on from Reid, went on to capture their first Super Bowl title in 2017, beating the mighty Patriots. As for Reid, he went on to put the Chiefs on the map. Thereby becoming one of the rarest coaches in the NFL who delivered success in multiple franchises.

Kansas City Chiefs struck gold in Andy Reid

The moment Reid left the Eagles, the Chiefs knew what they had to do. No, they didn’t just call him and get the deal done. Instead, they ran to the airport to intercept Reid’s meeting with the Cardinals, which never happened. The Chiefs hired Reid and has since delivered 11 playoffs, eight consecutive AFC Championship games, and 3 Super Bowls. And could probably win another in his fifth appearance with the Chiefs at this stage. Yeah, that win could probably make Andy Reid the greatest head coach in the NFL. However, winning against his former team would be the cherry on top for Reid after his humiliating exit from Philadelphia.

But the thing is, no matter today’s results, the revenge has already been served. Andy Reid’s Chiefs are just the fourth team in the NFL to ever reach the Super Bowl in three consecutive years. The Dolphins did it first in the early 1970s, then the Bills in the early 1990s, and, of course, the Patriots in the late 2010s. But none managed to complete the 3-peat.

With that being said, two GOAT statuses stood on the line with SB LIX’s result. One was Patrick Mahomes cementing his GOAT status, becoming the first QB to ever win a 3-peat. And another was, of course, Reid, who had a chance to show Bill Belichick how it feels to complete a 3-peat. Though they missed the chance, the franchise has already written its name in the history of the sport.