Confidence is key in the NFL and Kansas City Chiefs safety Justin Reid knows all too well how much his team’s young contributors need an extra boost after a loss like they took on Sunday.
Reid spoke to reporters after the Chiefs’ defeat at the hands of the New Orleans Saints and told the media that, despite the loss, he intends to make sure Kansas City’s rookies keep their spirits high.
“We [want] to juice them up. We want them to be confident,” Reid said of the Chiefs’ young guns. “We would love for everybody to make the team. That, unfortunately, isn’t how it works in the NFL. There’s going to be cuts. We want everybody to go out there and put good tape out there so that even if you don’t make the team here, you still have an opportunity somewhere else. There are some guys who took advantage of some opportunities out there. [They need to] keep their heads high, keep them playing hard, playing fast, making plays. They did a lot of good things.”
Reid and the rest of Kansas City’s roster will take Sunday’s loss in stride ahead of their next preseason matchup against the Arizona Cardinals on August 19. If his comments are any indication, Reid won’t let the team’s rookies get too down on themselves as they learn Steve Spagnuolo’s defensive system and develop their talents before the start of the 2023 regular season in September.