The Kansas City Chiefs signed veteran safety Justin Reid to be the heart of a young secondary following the team’s decision to move on from Tyrann Mathieu.
They seem to have received a bit more than they bargained for in Reid. He is showing his worth at camp, serving as a leader on the defensive side of the ball and a mentor to the rookie defensive backs. He’s also taken on a new role in the recent weeks of training camp practice.
After making a 65-yard field goal in practice, Reid’s leg is now being considered for the emergency kicker role. The development comes much to the amusement of Harrison Butker, who spoke to reporters about his new backup on Wednesday.
“It’s crazy because he’s actually not very efficient, but the ball goes so far,” Butker said. “You know what I’m saying? It was probably Phase Two (and) he got a kick in the indoor, he told me, ‘I love the specialists. I kicked a lot with Ka’imi (Fairbairn) with the Texans.’ And I think I had seen some videos of him kicking, but in the indoor, he was just bombing balls with a ton of height, so I knew he had a big leg. I just thought he just wanted to kick some footballs and he just naturally has the technique. I come to find out he played travel soccer all throughout high school, so he got that rhythm and technique from a young age. But he’s got a big leg, and I think it’s just fine-tuning it.
Reid has been attempting field goals in practice throughout camp, making 7-of-9 kicks when Butker missed practice earlier this week. Reid also scored a PAT before the end of the first half in the preseason Week 1 game against the Chicago Bears. Butker believes Reid can get even better at making kicks with some help.
“If I was him, I would take advantage of Tommy (Townsend) and me and learn as much as he can from us because he made an extra point when the pressure was on in (the) preseason,” Butker continued. “I’m all for it. I’m all for evolving the game of kicking and pushing the limits, so to have more people that are enthusiastic about being kickers, I’m all for it.”
The flexibility of Reid as the emergency kicker may seem humorous at this moment, but it could eventually pay off later in the season. The Chiefs will be one of the rare teams prepared for an unexpected absence of their starter without having to roster an extra player at the position.
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