Andy Reid and Kyle Shanahan are both among the best NFL minds. However, you simply cannot miss the fact that the 68-year-old Chiefs head coach has built a dynasty in Kansas City with eleven playoff appearances and three Super Bowl wins in his thirteen years there. Meanwhile, Shanahan’s San Francisco 49ers have played in the postseason for five of his nine years there, but every time, something keeps them away from the big one.

But here’s the thing: when Alex Smith was asked about the similarities between the two, he proved that quarterbacks always look at the game through a different lens.

“You have a chance every year with Kyle. I think he’s one of the best head coaches in football. He reminds me a lot of when I went to Kansas City with Andy Reid,” said Alex Smith to reporter Larry Krueger. “Andy at that point, was widely regarded as an amazing head coach. But he hadn’t won the big one yet.”

Alex Smith spent his first eight seasons in San Fransico before being traded to the Kansas City Chiefs in 2013. His first year in KC collided with Reid’s as he replaced Romeo Crennel, and the two went on to appear in the playoffs every year but one in their five years together. But once the Chiefs were set to draft Patrick Mahomes in 2018, they traded Smith to Washington in March.

So, Smith was never coached by Shanahan, but he also never played under Reid, who had already won the Super Bowl. That is where the similarities begin.

Before winning his first Super Bowl, Andy Reid was right at the doorstep numerous times. During his 14-year run in Philadelphia, he lost in four conference, two division games, and one Super Bowl. In Kansas as well, he transformed the team in his initial years and kept winning in the AFC West. But it wasn’t until Patrick Mahomes arrived that he saw success in the big game.

It took him seven years to win the Super Bowl, but that came after a lot of failures. His teams have always been competitive and perennial playoff contenders, but they fell short multiple times in the past, especially during his time with the Eagles. Shanahan has followed a similar script in San Francisco, reaching four NFC Championship games and two Super Bowls.

“Kyle’s been on the doorstep how many times now? Knocking on the door and it’s gonna happen,” Smith added. “And it’s gonna be an avalanche. Then all of a sudden we are gonna be talking about him on Mount Rushmore.”

Since 2017, Shanahan has won 82 of 149 regular-season games with the Niners. Despite being regarded as maybe the best play caller in the game and among the league’s best coaches, until he wins a Super Bowl, Shanahan will not be able to put a stamp on his greatness.

However, what is to be remembered is that this is Shanahan’s first stint as the head coach of the 49ers. He has been with the team for only nine years, and in most of these years, the 49ers have been a tough team to beat.

Reid’s first coaching stint came in 1999 with the Eagles. He took them to the Super Bowl in 2005, but they were narrowly beaten by the New England Patriots. After that, he had to wait for 15 more years before he won the Super Bowl, which came as part of the Chiefs, and that, ironically, came against the 49ers as well.

Even last season, Shanahan led the injury-riddled team to a 12-5 record. They even beat the Philadelphia Eagles in the Wild Card game, but then lost to the eventual champions, the Seattle Seahawks. With his players fit and available, Shanahan has proven he can get the best out of them. Although they have fallen short multiple times, Shanahan has proven that he could be the coach to lead them to their first Super Bowl since 1995.