The evolution of Andy Reid’s face mask, from foggy shield to Chiefs-patterned cloth
On the very first night of the 2020 NFL season, Andy Reid’s face shield kept fogging up. It was one of the stories of the Chiefs’ season opener.
Since then, Kansas City first figured out how to stop Reid’s shield from fogging up before he moved on to a cloth facemask instead. It’s never been a narrative before, but now how NFL head coaches cover their faces on the sideline is a major storyline due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Reid’s face coverings have been particularly noticeable because of the prowess of the Kansas City Chiefs and Patrick Mahomes.
K.C. has a chance to make a run at the Super Bowl as potential repeat winners, and Reid’s offensive genius will be on display frequently during the postseason. So too, therefore, will be his facemask. Here’s a look at how Reid’s face coverings have evolved through the season.
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Andy Reid’s fogged-up face shield
As defending Super Bowl champions, the Chiefs played on Thursday night, Sept. 10 against the Houston Texans. Reid’s initial choice to cover his face was a clear plastic shield, probably so that those who needed to see his mouth talking could do so easily.
One problem: It was muggy at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City and Reid’s breath kept fogging up the face shield. That led to Reid fidgeting with it throughout the game, often lifting it up for moments to make playcalls or see clearly. He called it “brutal” afterward. And yes, the whole to-do was a big hit on Twitter.
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Andy Reid’s clear face shield
On the bright side, the Chiefs fixed Reid’s face shield before Week 2.
According to ESPN, Kansas City equipment manager Allen Wright used National Hockey League technology to prevent the shield from fogging up. Essentially, a substance was used on the shield, possibly shaving cream, shampoo or dish soap, that wouldn’t let Reid’s breath condense on it.
It’s not clear what the substance specifically used by the Chiefs was, but it definitely worked: There wasn’t any more fogging up of Reid’s face shield.
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Andy Reid’s cloth facemask
Midway through the season, the NFL updated its protocol so that coaches could no longer wear just face shields and had to have a definitive mouth covering while on the sideline. That meant Reid switched over to a cloth mask.
There’ve been two that Reid has sported in the second half of the season, a red one pictured at the top of the article and the black one shown just above. Reid’s mask in particular fits his face very snugly, and one angle even appears to show Reid’s black mask having a drawstring.
In all seriousness, Reid’s had a lot smoother ride with his face coverings than some coaches who simply can’t seem to keep them on (we’re looking at you, Jon Gruden).
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