Andy Reid on coaching through Mahomes’ contract: “Let’s roll!”

In a relaxed, easygoing virtual conversation with reporters on Tuesday — as if his team had just signed its quarterback to a 12-year contract worth as much as $503 million — 62-year-old Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid was more than happy to address the question of whether he would be willing to continue to lead the franchise into his “young 70s.”

“Young 70s, huh?” he responded to Kansas City Star reporter Herbie Teope. “Listen, Herbie, I haven’t got to that point mentally — where I’m thinking about retirement.

“I love doing what I’m doing,” he continued. “One of the great things about this job is when you look forward to coming to work, deal with the guys — the players [and] the coaches. I’m lucky enough to be around good players and coaches — and this guy here makes it even better.”

Reid was referring to the recipient of that new contract: reigning Super Bowl MVP Patrick Mahomes.

“We always talk about how the great quarterbacks make everyone around them great. He has a unique ability to do that with his teammates.”

For his part, Mahomes said he had made a point of checking with Reid before signing the new deal — just to make sure his coach and mentor wasn’t planning to retire soon.

“I talked to him — I think before I signed the deal,” said Mahomes. “He said he had no thoughts of retiring any time soon. I mean, obviously that’s a huge part of it. I think having Brett Veach — a young general manager who has done a great job of drafting and getting a lot of great players around me — was definitely another huge boost to my confidence that it was time to do this 10-year extension.”

But Reid said there was more to it than just the presence of the player who has now signed the richest NFL contract in history.

“The Honey Badger [Tyrann Mathieu] is part of this, too,” he explained. “He was the first guy that texted myself and Brett Veach. When the deal got done, we got a text from Tyrann. He just said, ‘Hey, what a great thing you did.’ Both those two make our jobs enjoyable — being able to come to work with two great leaders like that, along with the other guys that love to play the game.

“So listen,” Reid concluded. “If it takes me into my 70s, let’s roll, Herbie! Doggone it! I’m ready to go!”

“Yes, I got a ‘doggone it, Herbie,’” Teope wrote on Twitter. “My year is made.”

We suspect he might not be the only one.