Tag: Justin Reid

Can Chiefs’ Justin Reid establish himself as one of NFL’s best safeties in 2023?

Our @goldmctNFL ponders whether #Chiefs S Justin Reid can put himself in the conversation for the league’s best safety in 2023:

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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.

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.

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Chiefs DC Steve Spagnuolo says secondary is ‘light-years ahead’ of last season

Based on recent comments from #Chiefs DC Steve Spagnuolo, the secondary is looking primed for another step forward in 2023. | from @LazarczykLogan

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The Kansas City Chiefs completed their second week of OTAs on Thursday, and DC Steve Spagnuolo highlighted the growth of the secondary.

In 2022, the Chiefs added a number of rookies and new veterans, featuring players like Trent McDuffie, Joshua Williams, Jaylen Watson and Justin Reid. Heading into 2023, it seems that group of players has a much better grasp of the system than they had during their championship season.

“I sat somewhere with them a week ago, and they’re like light-years ahead, and they feel it, it’s different, they are confident,” Spagnuolo said. “The first day we went out there for a walkthrough, the communication — and I’m including Justin Reid in that because last year was all new for him too, even though he was a vet the system was new. And those guys, from a verbal and being kind of tied into that standpoint, they were just gelling.”

When talking about the top corner on the team, the two names that pop up are L’Jarius Sneed and Trent McDuffie. Spagnuolo spoke about how he would like to utilize those two players in 2023, and how one of them may need to play in the slot until another cornerback steps up at that position.

“We would never give up on always having Trent (McDuffie and (L’Jarius Sneed) ready to play in (the slot) there. I don’t think that will change,” Spagnuolo said. “I’d love for another guy to surface, so when we want to keep LJ and Trent outside, somebody can go in there.”

Bryan Cook was another rookie that came in and made an impact during his first year in the NFL. Spagnuolo sees Cook’s leadership from last season carrying over to this season with the departure of Juan Thornhill.

“Bryan (Cook) is one of those guys that is a bold, vocal guy. Even last year, as a young guy a year ago, I was impressed with how bold he was,” Spagnuolo said. “Some of these guys come in, and they’re in a position where they have to communicate, and they don’t want to make a mistake, so they whisper it. But the guys who blurt it out, whether they are wrong, whether they are right, I like those guys. Cook was like that last year, and he has carried that into this year.”

As small as it sounds, confidence is one of, if not the biggest keys to a player having success. These rookies came in last year with no idea how walkthroughs, practices, meetings, etc. would go. Yet, they contributed to a Super Bowl-winning season in Kansas City, learning an entirely new system in the process.

This offseason, those players have the experience to come in and feel more confident of themselves in drills and practices. Those small details are monumental to carry over into live-game action set to come when the preseason kicks off in August.

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3 reasons why Chiefs’ defense could be a top-10 unit in 2023

Here are the three reasons why the #Chiefs defense will be a top-10 unit in 2023:

During Patrick Mahomes’ time as the quarterback of the Kansas City Chiefs, the defense has always been a question mark heading into the season. However, entering the 2023 season, Kansas City could have a defensive unit that is flying a bit under the radar.

In 2022, Kansas City’s defense featured six rookies that played significant snaps in the regular season and playoffs. Those players include Trent McDuffie, George Karlaftis, Joshua Williams, Jaylen Watson, Bryan Cook, and Leo Chenal. That’s what is so exciting about the potential of this defense in 2023. Yes, the players are still very young, but the experience these players went through on a Super Bowl run will have them more prepared this time around. In addition, there are veteran players on the defense that should continue to elevate the young players around them. 

There are a few reasons why this defense can take substantial steps in the upcoming season.

Chiefs S Justin Reid gives positive update on his 2023 NFL offseason

#Chiefs S Justin Reid says he’s bigger, faster and stronger than he’s ever been, even sharing a bit of proof.

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Kansas City Chiefs S Justin Reid appears to be having a good offseason.

Not only is he enjoying his first offseason as a Super Bowl champion, but Reid has also been hard at work preparing for the team’s Super Bowl title defense. On Monday evening, Reid took to Twitter to inform the entire Chiefs Kingdom that his offseason has been going great. Check it out:

“This off-season has been tremendous,” Reid wrote. “Currently the biggest, strongest, fastest and most technical that I’ve been in my career. The marathon continues.”

There is currently no way to verify whether Reid actually is the fastest or most technical he’s been during his career. We’ll just have to take his word on it. However, he added some proof on his Instagram story regarding the biggest and strongest part. Check it out:

Reid is listed at 6-foot-1 and 207 pounds on the Chiefs’ official roster, so this would be over a 10-pound increase for the veteran safety.

Admittedly, 218 pounds is on the top end in terms of weight for a safety in the NFL. Last season, Ravens S Kyle Hamilton weighed in atop the league at 221 pounds, but he also has three inches on Reid. New Eagles S Terrell Edmunds is listed at 6-foot-1 and 217 pounds, so that might be one of the closest comparisons.

We’ll see how this new weight handles on the 26-year-old soon enough when OTAs kick off in Kansas City next Monday.

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Every player picked 68th overall in the NFL draft in the last 10 years

The Broncos’ second pick in the draft is set to be 68th overall. Here’s a look at the last 10 players picked at that spot.

Before making any potential trades, the Denver Broncos have five picks to use in the 2023 NFL draft this week.

The team is set to pick at No. 68 overall with their second selection in the third round (again, barring a trade).

Denver has picked at that spot just once in the past, selecting San Diego State offensive tackle Claudie Minor in 1974. He made PFWA’s All-Rookie Team that year and went on to start 123 games for the Broncos in nine seasons.

With the start of the draft now just two days away, we’re taking a quick look back at the last 10 players picked at No. 68 overall since 2013. The list includes safety Justin Reid, a former Texan who just won a Super Bowl with the Chiefs last season.

Chiefs S Justin Reid makes donation to Kansas City Public Schools STEM, Robotics programs

#Chiefs S Justin Reid made a significant contribution to the education of teens in the Kansas City area on Monday. | from @TheJohnDillon

Kansas City Chiefs safety Justin Reid cemented himself as a key part of his team’s defense last season and is proving to be an equally crucial member of the community after making a significant donation to a local school on Monday.

Reid’s foundation, JReid Indeed, invested significantly in the STEM and engineering departments at Kansas City Public Schools, donating $15,000 to their robotics team as part of an outreach effort. A Standford graduate, Reid is known to be a firm believer in the value of education and seems poised to inspire a new generation of thinkers with this latest good deed in the Kansas City area.

“Technology is the game changer for our students to succeed,” Reid said in a statement, via KSHB. “Everyday technology is changing the future and it is changing how we live. I want to give children who look like me a fighting chance to have a better education, and to compete in life. That’s my ultimate goal.”

During his appearance at KC Central High School, Reid posed for pictures with the promotional check provided by his foundation and members of the robotics team who stand to benefit greatly from this kind gesture. The mission of his foundation is as follows:

 JReid InDeed is a charitable organization founded by Justin Reid that focuses on equipping and funding disadvantaged youth and communities through interactive programs, community engagement, and technology access. The foundation focuses on children in underserved communities of Houston, Baton Rouge, and Kansas City. 

Heading into his second year with the Chiefs in 2023, Reid is sure to become a fan-favorite in Kansas City’s secondary as he further ingrains himself both in his community and on the gridiron.

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Chiefs S Justin Reid voices opposition to NFL’s ‘Thursday Night Football’ change

Patrick Mahomes isn’t the only #Chiefs player opposed to the NFL’s “Thursday Night Football” change.

Kansas City Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes isn’t the only player on the team voicing his opinion on the NFL’s new rules regarding “Thursday Night Football” games.

The league announced on Tuesday that it had increased the limit for “Thursday Night Football” games per season. Previously teams were limited to just one appearance on the now Amazon-broadcast “Thursday Night Football.” They’ve now raised that limit to two games.

The league also discussed adding Thursday night games to the flexible scheduling policy, so long as teams received 15 days’ notice that the game would be flexed. That discussion was tabled and will likely be addressed during the spring league meetings in May.

Chiefs S Justin Reid took to Twitter to voice his frustration over the league’s new policy on Thursday night games. He says it will be “terrible” for player safety, adding that flexible scheduling would make it worse for both players and fans.

Mahomes and Reid won’t be the last players to speak out about this change. The question remains whether the league will heed their concerns or not. Roger Goodell’s initial response seems to suggest that the league will simply follow the data regarding player safety, even if those players themselves say otherwise.

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Did playing for the Texans change Justin Reid’s expectations in automobiles?

Kansas City Chiefs Justin Reid has gone from liking fast cars to nice trucks more. Did playing for the Houston Texans change that?

The Kansas City Chiefs changed Justin Reid.

The former Houston Texans 2018 third-round safety developed into a key contributor on the backend of Steve Spagnuolo’s defense and enabled the AFC West champions since 2016 to get over the hump and win their second Super Bowl in the Patrick Mahomes era. Reid had seven combined tackles as part of his 74 defensive snaps and five special teams snaps in the Chiefs’ 38–35 win over the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LVII.

However, the question must be asked if the Texans had any influence on changing Reid, specifically when it comes to his taste in automobiles.

The Stanford product took to Twitter Feb. 25 and opined on how his view of cars and trucks has changed over the years.

“When I was younger, I always wanted a fast car,” Reid wrote. “Now that I’m older tho, there’s nothing better than having a real nice truck.”

According to WANE-TV, while the state of Texas is 25th when it comes to share of vehicles in the state being trucks at 19.2%, the Lone Star State leads the nation in truck sales. In Louisiana, Reid’s home state as he grew up in Prairieland, 23.6% of the vehicles are trucks. Where Reid plays in the NFL currently in Missouri is 23rd at 19.6%, and California, where Reid played college ball, is 46th at 11.7%.

Reid played for the Texans from 2018-21 in 57 games, 53 of which he started. One of the main sponsors for the Texans is Ford, and one of their biggest sellers annually is their Ford F-Series pickup. Though not a sponsor of the Texans, General Motors also has a “Texas Edition” of their Chevrolet Silverado.

The younger brother of Eric Reid forged his own identity in Houston and earned the respect of his teammates as exemplified in his securing the 2019 Ed Block Courage Award in just his second season.

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Super Bowl LVII’s Secret Superstars

Who are the players capable of playing their best in the biggest games of their lives? Here are the Secret Superstars of Super Bowl LVII.

There are players in just about every Super Bowl who, quite unexpectedly, save their greatest performances for the biggest games of their lives. Packers receiver Max McGee tearing up the Chiefs’ esteemed secondary for seven catches, 138 yards, and two touchdowns in Super Bowl I. Jets running back Matt Snell doing what nobody else could do in Super Bowl III, and tearing through the Colts’ defensive line for 30 carries, 138 yards, and a touchdown. Raiders linebacker Rob Martin picking off three Ron Jaworski passes in Super Bowl XV. Doug Williams resuscitating his career and becoming the first Black quarterback to start in a Super Bowl, win a Super Bowl, and become Super Bowl MVP in one fell swoop in Super Bowl XXII against the Broncos. Eagles quarterback Nick Foles helping his team win its first Super Bowl in LII.

Who could be the Secret Superstar of Super Bowl LVII? There are several candidates who, based on their in-season exploits, might be perfectly primed to take that all-important leap.

Here are the Secret Superstars of Super Bowl LVII.

Chiefs players react to Tom Brady’s retirement. . . again

Several #Chiefs players took to Twitter to react to Tom Brady’s latest retirement announcement.

A year to the day that Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady announced his first retirement, he’s now announced that he’s retiring and in his words, “for good.” Brady is set to retire after 23 seasons of NFL play, spending the past three seasons in Tampa and two decades with the New England Patriots. He’s the most accomplished quarterback in NFL history, walking away from the game with 251 regular season wins, 35 playoff wins, seven Super Bowl rings, five Super Bowl MVPs and three league MVPs.

Several Kansas City Chiefs players took to Twitter to react to the news of Brady’s latest retirement, showering the legendary quarterback with praise. Check it out: