Andy Reid and I both got our NFL coaching start in Green Bay under Mike Holmgren in 1992, spending countless hours together learning the West Coast offense. Three decades later, Andy's preparing for his third Super Bowl in four years, and I'm loving every minute of the build-up to a special matchup: Kansas City Chiefs vs. Philadelphia Eagles, Reid's current team vs. his former team.
I'm so proud of Andy and all of that he's accomplished in his 24 years as an NFL head coach with the Eagles (1999-2012) and Chiefs (2013-present). He ranks fifth in league history with 268 total wins as a head coach (including the playoffs) and now boasts the second-most postseason wins (21), having just passed Hall of Fame coach Tom Landry with K.C.'s win in the AFC Championship Game. (Bill Belichick tops that latter list with 31 postseason victories.) Watching Andy evolve as a coach has been so fun for me, considering where our NFL careers began.
Today, I'm compiling the all-time Andy Reid all-star team. Everyone who played at least one season under Reid in either Philadelphia or Kansas City is eligible, and I'm taking each player's entire career into consideration -- not just the years played under Reid. Below is the All-Andy Reid defense. Click here for the offense.
Played for Reid: 2005-2012 (Eagles)
A two-time Pro Bowler, Cole was a nightmare for opposing quarterbacks. In fact, he sits second in career sacks in Eagles franchise history, with 85.5 across 155 games over 10 seasons, behind only the iconic Reggie White (124). For those of you keeping track, current defensive end Brandon Graham ranks fourth among franchise sack leaders with 70 across 178 games over 13 seasons. And as good a pass rusher as Cole was, his availability was arguably his best quality, as he missed just five games in a decade with the Eagles.
Played for Reid: 1999-2002, 2004 (Eagles)
Despite winning Defensive Rookie of the Year in 1996, the Jets' first-round pick wasn't an ideal fit for Bill Parcells, leading New York to ship Douglas to Philly after just three seasons. Douglas flourished with the Eagles and thrived late in his career under Reid, earning three Pro Bowl nods and one first-team All-Pro selection. Of Douglas' 80 career sacks, He compiled 54.5 as an Eagle, with 42 coming under Reid.
Played for Reid: 2016-present (Chiefs)
Jones has been an elite playmaker on the Chiefs' defensive front for a majority of his pro career, making four Pro Bowls and earning one first-team All-Pro nod in seven seasons. While Kansas City's defense has seen some turnover over the last several years, Jones has been a mainstay for Reid, with 2022 being perhaps his best campaign to date.
Played for Reid: 2013-16 (Chiefs)
This was a tight race between Poe and Corey Simon, both monsters anchoring the interior of the defense, but Poe got the edge as an elite run-stuffing nose tackle. During Poe's five seasons in Kansas City, the first-rounder totaled 200 tackles, 13 sacks and 12 passes defensed, making two Pro Bowls (2013 and '14) along the way. He also notched three offensive touchdowns (two rushing, one passing). How fun is that?!
Played for Reid: 2013-18 (Chiefs)
Houston was one of the NFL's top linebackers of the last decade, playing eight seasons in Kansas City (six with Reid). The sack artist has 111.5 career sacks to his name with his best campaign coming back in 2014, when he came a half-sack short of tying Michael Strahan's single-season sack record of 22.5 (a mark T.J. Watt has since matched). The four-time Pro Bowler helped the Chiefs get back to being a perennial playoff team; it's unfortunate he never got a ring there, leaving Kansas City in free agency prior to the 2019 season.
Played for Reid: 2013-17 (Chiefs)
Before Frank Clark there was Tamba Hali, a menace who got to the quarterback nearly 90 times in his 12-year career, which was entirely spent in K.C. His best years came between 2011 and '15, earning a Pro Bowl nod in each of those five seasons. Watching Hali, who impressively forced 33 fumbles, and Justin Houston wreck shop was nothing short of a pass-rushing clinic.
Played for Reid: 2013-17 (Chiefs)
The four-time Pro Bowler is the Chiefs' all-time leader in tackles -- and he held the franchise's single-season tackles record until this season, when Nick Bolton (180) surpassed Johnson's total from 2011 (179). Despite his best years occurring before Reid's arrival in Kansas City, Johnson continued to be a force in the middle of the defense, always making plays and generally being around the ball, until he left for Oakland in 2018.
Played for Reid: 1999-2003 (Eagles)
Before Vincent was the NFL's executive vice president of football operations, he was picking off quarterbacks left and right. The Eagles Hall of Fame cornerback's best seasons came during the Reid era, as he was named to five consecutive Pro Bowls (1999-2003). He was the league's interceptions leader (seven) in 1999 and passes defensed leader (27) in 2001, while also nabbing a first-team All-Pro selection in 2002. His playing career was littered with outstanding achievements, but his best accomplishment was being named the NFL's 2002 Walter Payton Man of the Year.
Played for Reid: 2008-2011 (Eagles)
Samuel was an absolute ballhawk -- and it's great to see his son, Asante Samuel Jr., taking after dad in his own career. Before Samuel came to Reid's Eagles as a free agent in 2008, he won a pair of rings with the New England Patriots, but he was equally as impactful as an individual player during his days in Philly. In four years with Reid, Samuel logged 23 interceptions -- leading the NFL in 2009 with nine -- and was named to the Pro Bowl three times.
Played for Reid: 1999-2008 (Eagles)
The second of Philadelphia's two second-round draft picks in 1996 (tight end Jason Dunn was taken seven spots higher), Dawkins didn't make his first Pro Bowl until Reid's arrival in 1999. From then on, the Hall of Fame safety made eight more Pro Bowls (two with Denver in 2009 and 2011) and was a four-time first-team All-Pro. Dawkins -- or, as they called him on the field, "Weapon X" -- was the heartbeat of the Eagles' defense for more than a decade as the ultimate leader and pro. And boy, was he fun to watch.
Played for Reid: 2013-18 (Chiefs)
Berry was one of the NFL's most inspiring stories of this millennium. Diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma late in 2014, Berry returned for the 2015 season to earn Comeback Player of the Year honors, as well as a Pro Bowl bid and first-team All-Pro designation. The No. 5 overall draft pick in 2010, three years before Reid's arrival, Berry was one of the league's top safeties when healthy and a cornerstone of the Chiefs' defense for a majority of the decade, totaling five Pro Bowls and three first-team All-Pros.
Played for Reid: 2013-19 (Chiefs)
An extremely consistent punter, Colquitt spent seven seasons with Reid and 15 overall in Kansas City. The two-time Pro Bowler left town on a high note after winning Super Bowl LIV.
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