'He has all the tools to be successful' — Justin Reid admits Kansas City Chiefs are in good hands with his 2025 replacement
While the Kansas City Chiefs lost a veteran defender, Justin Reid, during free agency this offseason, they're in good shape in the defensive secondary heading into the 2025 NFL season. That's according to Reid himself, who believes his replacement is well-positioned to succeed. Speaking with 810 Sports Radio's Jason Anderson on " The Zone" ahead of […]
While the Kansas City Chiefs lost a veteran defender, Justin Reid, during free agency this offseason, they're in good shape in the defensive secondary heading into the 2025 NFL season. That's according to Reid himself, who believes his replacement is well-positioned to succeed.
Speaking with 810 Sports Radio's Jason Anderson on " The Zone" ahead of the American Century Championship in Lake Tahoe, Reid weighed in on second-year S Jaden Hicks, who is stepping into the role Reid vacated after learning under the veteran in 2024.
"We knew early on that we had to find ways to get him on the field," Reid said of Hicks' 2024 campaign.
Hicks appeared in just over 30% of the defensive snaps for the Chiefs in 2024, but managed to lead the team in interceptions with three. His performance and production were so promising that he's already getting recognition as a potential breakout player before training camp has even arrived.
Chiefs S Justin Reid believes Jaden Hicks can be the possible version of himself in 2025
Asked whether he thought Hicks was ready to slide into his role in Chiefs DC Steve Spagnuolo's defense, Reid had no hesitation in his response. Reid also shared a piece of advice that he learned upon arriving in Kansas City back in 2022.
"Yeah, absolutely," Reid told Anderson. "Absolutely. This is the same thing I've told him, and the same thing I tell every DB, because when I first signed with Kansas City, everyone says, 'Well, you're going to be the next Tyrann Mathieu.' And I said, 'I can be the best Justin Reid I can be.' And that's the same thing for Jaden. Jaden can't be me, but he can damn sure be the best Jaden Hicks he can possibly be. And that player is damn good, you know what I mean? So he can step into those shoes, he can filll, he can tackle, he's athletic, he's willing to learn, he listens, and he plays hard, so he has all the tools to be successful."
Hicks won't be the same player that Reid was, just like Reid wasn't the same player as Mathieu before him. What's clear is that Hicks has proven to his former teammate that he has the physical ability, the mental make-up, and the want-to that it takes to be successfull in the league. What that will look like will be entirely up to Hicks, but if his rookie season is any indication, the Chiefs are in good hands in the post-Justin Reid era.
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