‘One game does not define any player’ — Justin Reid defends his Chiefs replacement Jaden Hicks after tough Week 1 performance
Former Chiefs S Justin Reid weighed in on the tough outing for second-year safety Jaden Hicks.
The Kansas City Chiefs are expecting big things from safety Jaden Hicks in 2025, but unfortunately, the second-year defender didn’t get off to a hot start in Brazil. The Week 1 struggles were such that Hicks’ former teammate and mentor, Justin Reid, came to his defense on social media.
Hicks allowed four receptions on six targets for 49 yards and two scores, according to the folks at Pro Football Focus. The scoring plays were the true back-breakers for Kansas City, and a big reason why he was the team’s lowest-graded coverage player on Sunday.
The first touchdown came in the final minutes of the third quarter, with a blown coverage assignment against Keenan Allen.
The next came with just five minutes remaining in the fourth quarter after Quentin Johnston shook what appeared to be pretty tight man coverage from a late single-high rotation. To Hicks’ credit, this play should’ve been called back on the blatant hold by Najee Harris against the blitzing Chamarri Conner.
The performance was a far cry from what the Chiefs had seen from Hicks during his rookie season, a year in which he led Kansas City in interceptions, while playing a very low percentage of the team’s defensive snaps.
Former Chiefs S Justin Reid sends reassuring message after Jaden Hicks’ poor performance
Former Chiefs S Justin Reid, now with the New Orleans Saints, was watching the game and his former teammates on the world stage on Friday night and took exception to some of the criticism of Hicks. He sought to uplift his former teammate and reassure Chiefs Kingdom that things would get better.
“Jaden Hicks is a star in this league,” Reid wrote. “I’ve seen firsthand what this kid can do. One game does not define any player, coach or team. There are a ton of plays for a bunch of players on both sides of the ball to learn from.”
Those are wise words from a veteran who has been in the system and went through a similar Week 1 loss to the Detroit Lions in 2023, en route to a Super Bowl championship. He also knows all too well what Hicks is capable of, having worked with him directly last season in Kansas City. Week 1 against the Chargers was Hicks’ second NFL start, and it was the only one that came in a meaningful game. Reid also knows that this team can bounce back from a tough loss as a whole because he’s lived it.
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