The Kansas City Chiefs have taken over as the top team in the AFC. As a result, the franchise is likely to rest stars at the end of the regular season. Is the competition being distorted? Bill Belichick has a clear opinion on the matter.

The Kansas City Chiefs secured first place in the AFC with a win in the Christmas Game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, even before the final regular season game.

Accordingly, the team can start preparing and recovering for the playoffs ahead of schedule. As reported by “CBS”, head coach Andy Reid will rest key players in week 18, the final game of the regular season against the Denver Broncos.

Including the bye in the first round, some key players would then have almost 24 days off to recover before the showdown in the Divisional Round. In the meantime, “intensive training sessions for the starters” are to take place to keep them fit.

Accordingly, quarterback Patrick Mahomes, tight end Travis Kelce and defensive tackle Chris Jones are not expected to play. The break should be especially beneficial for Mahomes, who has been struggling with an ankle injury recently. Star defensive lineman Jones also missed the game in Week 17 with a calf injury.

For Coach Reid, this behavior is not unusual. When his teams have made the playoffs, he has routinely rested his key players the following week, especially the quarterbacks. He did this with Alex Smith in 2013 and 2017 and with Mahomes in 2020 and 2023.

Chiefs with a competitive disadvantage in the playoff race?

If the Chiefs do not start their first team in the upcoming game, it would have a major impact on their playoff race in the AFC.

Division rivals Denver urgently need another win after their overtime defeat to the Cincinnati Bengals to still reach the postseason themselves.

Belichick: “The most important thing is your team”

NFL legend Bill Beckichick, meanwhile, supports the approach of Chiefs coach Andy Reid, at least in part.

On the “Pat McAfee Show,” the longtime New England Patriots head coach said, “Each situation is different & each team is different. As a coach, it’s your responsibility to do what’s best for your team. That may mean taking a few guys out if they’re banged up. But if your team isn’t playing well and you have holes in certain areas, maybe you need to play more guys.”

“Each situation is different & each team is different..

As the Head Coach it’s your responsibility to do what’s best for the team..

Guys like Brady, Vrabel & Bruschi they wanted to play..

They worked all year & they complained when they had to come out” ~ Coach Belichick… pic.twitter.com/CQmSjwvh4v

— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) December 30, 2024

Belichick, who won six Super Bowls as head coach and stands for success like no other, also makes it clear: “But you can’t tell your team, we’ll let these five guys sit this one out, we don’t care about the rest. We don’t care what happens to you. That’s a message I don’t want to send.”

Belichick makes it clear that the decision is not always up to the coach alone: “The players I had, Brady, Gronkowski, Vrabel, Bruschi, always wanted to play. They worked hard all year and complained when they had to leave the field. Brady complained when I let the backup quarterback play two snaps in practice.”

Belichick does not address the issue of competitive distortion in his assessment. He refers exclusively to the fact that as head coach you are responsible for your own team.

Do you feel like your team is better in the playoffs when some players are sitting? Sit them! Do you feel like your team needs to gel in certain areas to get better? Play them!