Kansas City Chiefs S Justin Reid is entering his sixth NFL season, but he has rarely seen his name mentioned among the league’s best safeties. He didn’t make the cut in Touchdown Wire’s list of the 11 best at his position heading into the 2023 NFL season. Can he manage to change the narrative surrounding his play in 2023?
Typically, there are questions about motivation after a player wins a Super Bowl ring, but Reid seems motivated as ever to make the upcoming season his greatest yet. He’s spent the offseason getting bigger, stronger and faster, preparing himself for the team’s Super Bowl title defense.
This will be my greatest year yet
— Justin Reid (@JustinqReid) June 15, 2023
The upcoming season will mark Reid’s second season in Kansas City, but it won’t be without changes. His running mate in the defensive back-end from a season ago, Juan Thornhill, joined the Cleveland Browns during the offseason.
Even with the personnel change, Reid told reporters he’s feeling much more confident in his own role and executing the defense than he did a season ago.
“The confidence,” Reid told reporters during OTAs. “I see myself as a play-caller on defense. I enjoy the X’s and O’s, the checks, really getting everybody situated and put in the best position. Then playing different roles, from strong safety to free safety to dime linebacker to sometimes kicker. Having confidence in those roles and not having to be out there and think, just being able to play as offenses make shifts and make adjustments rapidly, to play fast at that point, you really start to take the game to a new level. I think, in the second half of the year, you started seeing that. I’m planning to continue that progression this year.”
What exactly would progression from last year look like for Reid? He finished last season with 103 total tackles, two tackles for loss, one sack, 5 QB hits and eight passes defended (regular season and playoffs combined). He also allowed 46 receptions on 65 targets for over 400 yards and three touchdowns according to PFF. Those numbers would certainly have to improve if he’s to be recognized as one of the league’s best.
With another year under his belt in Steve Spagnuolo’s system for himself and other defenders in the secondary, his job should get markedly easier. He’ll be doing less thinking and be able to react to what he’s seeing on the field with greater conviction. That alone should leave to tangible improvements during the 2023 NFL season.
