Andy Reid Shouldn't Have Needed a Super Bowl to Earn Your Respect

Andy Reid's Hall of Fame resume is no longer questionable, and his performance on the sidelines of Super Bowl LIV was about as flawless as they come, especially considering the many errors in judgement by his star quarterback, who had supposedly carried him to this point.

Instead, Patrick Mahomes looked out of his element for three full quarters of football, only to revive the once-dead Chiefs in the final minutes, thanks to some creative play-calling and game management by Reid to put his team in position to win. Given this group's flare for the dramatic, down ten in the fourth quarter is, surprisingly, quite comfortable for them. Part of that is due to the fact they reflect the mindset of their head coach, who despite always being in character is as calming of an influence as there is in the NFL.

But, really, why did it take this long for Reid to earn the respect of so many well-paid, supposedly "in the know" pundits?

After beginning his career coaching Brett Favre into a Hall-of-Fame talent in Green Bay, Reid created a perennial contender in Philadelphia that -- while never winning THE BIG ONE -- was always on the verge of something special. Building a team that makes it to five NFC Championship games doesn't happen overnight, and Reid left Philly with the highest win percentage in team history, and a reputation that helped him latch on with the Chiefs.

From there, Reid's only taken an Alex Smith-led squad to the postseason on several occasions, while coaching up arguably the best QB talent we've ever seen. Now with this deadly weapon in his arsenal, you have no choice but to acknowledge's Reid's offensive genius.

Sunday was a cumulative event for Reid -- surely a cherry, of sorts, to cap a career already destined for Canton. The best news is that we no longer need to have this conversation.