Reid already talking about next season, not retirement
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Chiefs coach Andy Reid is giving the rest of his staff about a week off after their Super Bowl victory parade through downtown Kansas City on Wednesday, then he expects everyone to be back in the building to begin working on next season.
So much for down time. The Chiefs have a three-peat to think about.
Reid spoke to a small group of reporters Tuesday, two days after the Chiefs beat the San Francisco 49ers 25-22 in overtime in Las Vegas for their second straight championship. There had been unsubstantiated reports that the 65-year-old coach might call it quits after the Super Bowl, and while Reid continually clapped back at such talk in the run-up to the big game, the sight of him in his office — and already talking about next year — should firmly put the notion to rest.
“To win one is tough. To win two, back to back, is really tough,” Reid said. “That's not an easy thing to do, and to know the effort the guys put into it, the way they stuck together through the highs and lows ... that's gratifying as a head coach.”
The only downside to making Super Bowl runs deep into February, which the Chiefs have done four of the last five years — with three victory parades to show for them — is that it soaks up any opportunity for coaches and staff to catch their breath.
Yet before the combine, free agency or the draft comes the parade, one last celebration of another championship season. And during a meeting with his team Tuesday, Reid gave a parting message about the impending party.
“It's great to have fun,” he said with a smile, “but you know, be smart.”
Super Bowl drew record audience
The longest Super Bowl game will also go down as the most-watched program in U.S. television history.
According to Nielsen and Adobe Analytics, Kansas City's victory on Sunday night averaged 123.4 million viewers across television and streaming platforms. That shattered last year's mark of 115.1 million for Kansas City's last-play victory over Philadelphia and is a 7% increase.
The game was televised by CBS, Nickelodeon and Univision and streamed on Paramount+ as well as the NFL'S digital platforms.
Nielsen also said a record 202.4 million watched at least part of the game across all networks, a 10% jump over last year's figure of 183.6 million.
Steelers part ways with QB Trubisky
The Pittsburgh Steelers cut quarterback Mitch Trubisky on Monday, sending the former No. 2 overall draft pick into free agency after two disappointing seasons.
Trubisky signed with the Steelers in March 2022 and was given first crack at replacing the retired Ben Roethlisberger. Trubisky started four games before being benched in favor of then-rookie Kenny Pickett. Trubisky struggled again this season while filling in for an injured Pickett, losing starts against New England and Indianapolis before being replaced by Mason Rudolph.