The Kansas City Chiefs are officially in unfamiliar territory – and the fallout has begun. After missing the NFL playoffs for the first time in 12 years, the franchise is reshaping its coaching staff as it searches for answers following a stunning collapse.
Kansas City finished the season 6-11, losing its final six games and falling far short of expectations for a team that appeared in five Super Bowls between 2019 and 2024. Now, with frustration mounting and accountability taking center stage, head coach Andy Reid and the organization have “parted ways” with multiple assistants, including the most recent dismissal: running backs coach Todd Pinkston.
The move signals that the Chiefs are not treating this as a fluke – but as a warning.
Offensive struggles force Chiefs to make tough decisions
The 2025 season exposed problems Kansas City could no longer ignore. While Patrick Mahomes remained the face of the franchise, the supporting cast around the two-time MVP struggled to provide consistent help. Outside of Travis Kelce, the offense lacked reliable playmakers, and defenses increasingly dared Kansas City to win without explosive weapons.
The run game, in particular, became a glaring weakness.
The Chiefs finished 25th in the NFL in rushing yards (1,812) and tied for 18th in rushing touchdowns (15). Top running back Isiah Pacheco managed just 462 yards and one touchdown on 118 carries, a dramatic drop from expectations in a system that once thrived on balance.
That regression placed additional pressure on Mahomes and contributed to stalled drives, poor time-of-possession control, and an offense that often looked disconnected.
It’s no surprise, then, that coaching accountability followed.
Kansas City first dismissed wide receivers coach Connor Embree, a move tied closely to the unit’s inconsistency. They also moved on from defensive quality control coach Louie Addazio, while defensive line coach Alex Whittingham departed voluntarily to join his father, Kyle Whittingham, with the Michigan Wolverines.
Now, with the firing of Todd Pinkston, the Chiefs are officially searching for new leadership across multiple position groups: running backs, wide receivers, defensive quality control, and defensive line.
That’s not a cosmetic change. That’s structural.
Why Todd Pinkston’s firing from Chiefs matters
Pinkston, 48, joined the Chiefs’ staff in 2023 and was part of the coaching group that helped Kansas City reach the Super Bowl that season. His connection to Andy Reid ran deep – he played under Reid with the Philadelphia Eagles during his own NFL career and brought credibility from both his playing and collegiate background at Southern Miss.
But sentiment doesn’t outweigh performance in Kansas City anymore.
The run game’s collapse, paired with the team’s overall regression, made change unavoidable. For a franchise accustomed to competing for championships every January, a six-win season represented more than disappointment, it represented identity erosion.
The front office appears determined to prevent that from becoming the norm.
The decision to overhaul the staff sends a clear message: the Chiefs are not entering a rebuild, but they are demanding evolution.
What comes next for Kansas City
With multiple coaching vacancies now open, Kansas City faces a critical offseason. The next hires will directly impact Mahomes’ trajectory, the development of young offensive talent, and whether the Chiefs can re-establish their identity as a balanced, creative offense.
There is also growing belief around the league that more changes could be coming, not just at the assistant level, but potentially within roster construction philosophy.
After a year that exposed depth issues, scheme stagnation, and offensive limitations, Kansas City is at a crossroads.
They can either treat 2025 as an anomaly or respond to it as a warning.
So far, their actions suggest the latter.
The Chiefs dynasty isn’t dead. But it’s no longer coasting on reputation. And with firings mounting and pressure building, Andy Reid and Kansas City have made it clear: the reset has officially begun.
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