Josh Alper ,
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Safety Justin Reid started the last three Super Bowls for the Chiefs, but he won’t be on the field in Brazil against the Chargers in Week One of the 2025 season.
Reid moved on to the Saints as a free agent this offseason and he shared his thoughts on the player who will be filling his spot on the Kansas City defense during an appearance on 810 Sports Radio. 2024 fourth-round pick Jaden Hicks is set to get bumped up the depth chart in his second season and Reid said it was clear early last season that the Chiefs “had to find ways to get” Hicks on the field in the future.
That future is now and Reid thinks it will prove to be the same kind of transition that the Chiefs made when they moved Reid into Tyrann Mathieu’s old spot on defense.
“Absolutely,” Reid said. “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 said, ‘Well, you’re going to be the next Tyrann Mathieu.’ And I said, ‘I don’t have a chance at being the next Tyrann Mathieu. 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 fill, 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.”
Strong safety play has helped the Chiefs defense reach high levels over their run of five Super Bowl appearances in six seasons. If Reid’s prediction is on the money, it will continue to be a Kansas City asset in 2025 and beyond.
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