Philadelphia Eagles: Prayers up for Philly legend Andy Reid

After taking a loss in an absolute slobberknocker against the Los Angeles Chargers, ex-Philadelphia Eagles head coach Andy Reid felt too ill to talk to the media and ultimately left Arrowhead Stadium in an ambulance.

According to Adam Schefter, Big Red remains in good spirits and was largely taken to the hospital for precautionary reasons.

All things considered, is that good news? Most definitely. Even if Reid hasn’t called the City of Brotherly Love home for almost a decade, he remains one of the most popular coaches to ever hold a clipboard in Eagles history, and thus, when he’s sick, it’s like one of our own is sick too.

So, in the hopes of Andy Reid making a full recovery, let’s take a look back at his tenure with the Philadelphia Eagles and recall a simpler time.

Andy Reid remains a Philadelphia Eagles legend.

When Andy Reid was initially hired by the Philadelphia Eagles, the move wasn’t universally loved.

I know. In hindsight, that sounds crazy, but at the time, Reid’s biggest claim to fame was coaching tight ends and eventually quarterbacks for the Green Bay Packers during the mid-90s. Considering more “prestigious” names like Jim Haslett were also on the running for the job, some openly asked why Jeffrey Lurie and company would hire a relatively unknown candidate to become the second-youngest coach in the league.

Right out the gate, some of Reid’s early detractors were proven right, as the Birds went 5-11 with the remnants of Ray Rhodes. But then, midway through the season, everything changed. The Eagles turned to Donovan McNabb, second overall pick in the 1999 NFL Draft out of Syracuse, and suddenly saw their luck change considerably over the forthcoming seasons.

From 2000-2010, the Eagles recorded a 130-62 record, made the playoffs nine times, including four straight trips to the NFC Championship game and a single trip to the Super Bowl in 2004.

All-in-all, not too shabby.

While the Eagles were never ultimately able to take things over the top and win the game’s biggest prize during the Reid-era, and the wheels ultimately fell off at the end of his tenure with the team for reasons both on and off the field, Reid has retained his popularity long after his time with the team has passed.

When Reid was hired by the Cheifs, many a fan of the Eagles applauded his new home. When KC landed the best QB in the league and then won a Super Bowl shortly thereafter, Philly celebrated it like it was one of our own, a situation made easier by the Eagles’ own Super Bowl win in February of 2018.

Surely if there was ever a head coach worth of praise for doing things the right way, it’s Big Red, which makes his sudden spell of illness all the more unfortunate.

So Andy Reid, please get well soon. While you haven’t coached the Philadelphia Eagles in a decade, you’ve remained as popular as ever around this part of the country and will surely be inducted into the team’s Hall of Fame when your coaching days are done. But for all of our sake, let’s hope that doesn’t happen anytime soon.