Clark Hunt has clear expectations on what must improve for Kansas City Chiefs in 2026 NFL season — and Andy Reid knows it
Kansas City Chiefs Chairman and CEO Clark Hunt made his expectations for the 2026 known on “Good Morning Football.”
The Kansas City Chiefs didn’t meet their standards during the 2025 NFL season, posting a 6-11 overall record. It wasn’t just the worst season-long record of the Andy Reid era, but it was also the first time since 2014 that the club missed the playoffs. It’s especially painful knowing that this was viewed as a weak AFC field en route to Super Bowl LX.
So, how do the Chiefs get back to their dominant ways amid all the challenges ahead? Plans are already in motion with the groundwork laid and expectations set at the highest levels of the organization.
Chiefs owner Clark Hunt is looking to eliminate inconsistency and improve all three phases in 2026
Chiefs Chairman and CEO Clark Hunt shared his expectations for the 2026 NFL offseason and season on NFL Network’s “Good Morning Football.” In his conversations with Chiefs HC Andy Reid, Hunt has a clear view of what needs to improve. It all starts by using the extra time that has traditionally been reserved for playoff preparation to self-evaluate.
“One of the few silver linings to not participating in the playoffs is having an opportunity to really step back and evaluate what didn’t go our way in 2025 and what we can do to get better,” Hunt said. “In talking to Coach (Andy) Reid, I know he feels we have an opportunity to be better in all three phases. There were times during the year where we were successful, but there was a lot of inconsistency, really, across the squad. We’ve already made some changes from an offensive coaching staff. We’re very excited to have Eric Bieniemy coming back as our offensive coordinator, and of course, we have a top-10 pick coming up in the NFL draft in April. The first time we’ve drafted in the top 10, really, since 2013 although in 2017 we did trade up to number 10 to take Patrick Mahomes.”
So, to recap, the Chiefs aim to create more consistency on offense, defense, and special teams. That’s likely accomplished through sweeping changes to personnel, coaching, and more. Andy Reid has already begun making moves on the coaching side that should have an impact. They’ve already made the decision to bring back Eric Bieniemy as offensive coordinator. They’ve also moved on from some of the more inexperienced coaches on the staff and seem to be targeting more experienced position coaches. That should free up Coach Reid to get out of the weeds and focus more on scheme, play design, and game planning.
The other part of this is up to Brett Veach. There were clear personnel deficiencies on the defensive line and at the running back position in 2025. He has to leverage the No. 9 pick to land the team a game-changer on offense or defense. The last time they had a pick this high, they found Patrick Mahomes. While it’s unrealistic to think they can find another superstar of that caliber, they can absolutely use that pick to help get this team back on track, and that appears to be the expectation of Hunt, too. He knows opportunities to pick this high don’t come around often, and that the team needs to take advantage of it as best they can.
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