In the world of the NFL, where millimeter-perfect passes and split-second decisions can make or break a season, sometimes the most powerful weapon is… a look. Just ask Patrick Mahomes, who recently spilled the beans on Andy Reid’s secret superpower – the dreaded “Dad Stare.”

“It’s not a yell, but he has this like stare,” Mahomes revealed in an NFL on NBC YouTube video. “It’s like when you know you do something wrong, your dad looks at you and gives you that look, and you’re just like, ‘All right, that’s on me.’” This simple glance, it turns out, is enough to keep even the NFL’s most electrifying quarterback on his toes.

But don’t mistake Reid for some stone-faced taskmaster. The Chiefs‘ locker room is a place where creativity flourishes – to a point. Mahomes let us in on the delicate balance: “He lets you have fun. But if you do something, that’s stepping out just a little too far, he’ll give you that look, and you know, ‘All right, let’s get back to the fundamentals.’” It’s this mix of freedom and discipline that’s helped forge one of the NFL’s most dynamic offenses.

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Though some would argue that the ‘Dad Stare’ is more for intimidation of players, it can also be interpreted as an understanding of the high regard in which Reid is held. Mahomes gushed about Reid. “He’s the best. Obviously, he’s one of the best coaches of all time, especially offensive minds. The way he’s able to continue to just bring us new plays and bring us new emotions to pique our interest and keep us in every single week of the season is one of a kind.”

But that only tells half the story. The investment of Reid in his players, more importantly, in them as individuals, distinguishes him. Mahomes stressed this, “He cares about the person more than the player. He wants me to be the best that I can be as a dad and as a husband, and then a football player.”  This creates a close relationship that is beyond the athlete and the coach.

The Mahomes-Reid connection is the new blueprint for NFL success

Although the Chiefs are on a high, some events that have surrounded another well-known QB-coach pairing in recent times have put their success into perspective. The Dynasty, a docuseries that wrapped up on March 15, 2024, exposed the cracks in the Tom Brady-Bill Belichick relationship that ultimately led to the Patriots’ downfall.

On The Colin Cowherd Podcast in March, Nick Wright discussed this in-depth and pointed out a major contrast between the two partnerships: “Their egos don’t step on each other. They are looking for credit in areas that don’t really overlap with each other.” Both Mahomes and Reid have been able to co-exist as leaders without any conflicts about power and control, unlike the New England Patriots.

It has been important that Reid has been flexible enough to adapt his coaching philosophy when coaching Patrick Mahomes. For unconventional plays, he allows his quarterback to have “freedom to follow his instincts” since he has faith in Mahomes cooking magic. This allows for a whole departure from the dreaded Bill Belichick’s system, which eventually made Brady feel confined.

The results speak volumes. By the age of 28 only, Mahomes holds the record of 4-2 in the AFC Championship and three times Super Bowl MVP Mahomes. More importantly, there are no signs of the relationship being perforated. As Mahomes explained, “Guys play hard. They know that he’s going to ask a lot out of you, but he truly is going to put in just as much work as you do.”

This cooperative relationship is something that has not gone unnoticed by the people who are often the closest to the organization. Even Mahomes’ mother, Randi, has seen the light and has now embraced Reid’s style of coaching. She did, however, confess publicly on The Mom Game Podcast dated June 21, 2024, that in the beginning, she was skeptical about the plays that Reid was play calling: “Even the first couple years with the Chiefs, I would say I don’t think you’re supposed to do that like scramble around, running around… and he was like coach Reid [said] it works, do it.”

In a game where giant egos give way to infighting, and great eras collapse with surprising abruptness, the Chiefs have figured out the elusive riddle of success. It is founded on courtesy and understanding, straightforward relations, and yes, this is Coach Reid, firm eyes on some occasions.