Chiefs' 2025 NFL free agency loss of S Justin Reid means the promotion of an ascending young player is all but certain
The Kansas City Chiefs will officially say goodbye to S Justin Reid in the 2025 NFL free agency period. According to multiple reports, Reid will sign a three-year deal worth $31.5M with the New Orleans Saints. The deal is fully guaranteed at $22.25M. Reid is a Baton Rouge, Louisiana native, so this will be a […]
The Kansas City Chiefs will officially say goodbye to S Justin Reid in the 2025 NFL free agency period.
According to multiple reports, Reid will sign a three-year deal worth $31.5M with the New Orleans Saints. The deal is fully guaranteed at $22.25M. Reid is a Baton Rouge, Louisiana native, so this will be a bit of a homecoming for him. He becomes the fourth player to depart in free agency for Kansas City, joining Justin Watson, Samaje Perine, and Tershawn Wharton.
Reid signed virtually the same three-year $31.5M contract with the Chiefs in 2022 and has been an integral part of the team's defensive identity ever since. His open-field tackling and quick trigger in the passing game has been an enormous boon and will certainly be missed. Reid leaves Kansas City a two-time Super Bowl champion, starting 49 of 51 possible regular-season games (two Week 18 planned rest games). During that span, he recorded an impressive 265 total tackles, 12 tackles for loss, four sacks, one forced fumble, three interceptions, and 23 passes defended.
The Chiefs won’t just miss what he brings to the defensive side of the ball but also his presence on special teams. He was routinely mentioned as having the quickest get-off on field goal block, which helped facilitate both of Leo Chenal’s field goal blocks this season. Who could forget when his kicking ability came into play during the 2022 NFL season when Chiefs K Harrison Butker suffered an ankle injury in Week 1 against the Arizona Cardinals? His leadership ability cannot be understated either, as he helped take Spags’ defense to the next level by being a coach on the field. What will truly be missed is the impact he and his foundation made in the Kansas City community.
However, every departure means a new opportunity for another player. The Chiefs already have a very clear picture of what comes next after Reid. . .
Jaden Hicks is next-man-up at the safety position following Justin Reid's departure
Second-year S Jaden Hicks is poised to replace Reid in the starting lineup beside Bryan Cook. He filled in for Reid occasionally during the 2024 NFL season and did a lot with only a little playing time. He played about 30% of the defensive snaps for Kansas City in 2024 and recorded three interceptions on the year. If you look at every safety drafted before him, most of them didn't clear that much turnover production on double the snaps.
Not only did he make plays on the ball in key moments, but he's an absolute missile in the open field. He has a quick trigger to come up and make a hit, which is always a good thing to see from a rookie. Steve Spagnuolo will look to see what he can get out of Hicks with a higher percentage of snaps in 2025. Reid, for instance, played the second-most defensive snaps (90%) to Trent McDuffie.
Contract details for new Chiefs LT Jaylon Moore say everything about what GM Brett Veach and HC Andy Reid have in mind
The Kansas City Chiefs seem to feel they’ve found their left tackle of the future.
