Two full-team training camp practices are in the books for the Kansas City Chiefs this summer, but safety Justin Reid hasn’t done on-field work for either. The veteran defensive back was placed on the non-football injury list when veterans arrived at the Missouri Western State University campus, which remains Reid’s status as a new week begins.
To say this is a noteworthy absence for Kansas City would be an understatement. Reid played over 1,000 snaps last regular season and during the playoffs, and he’s a trusted leader in Steve Spagnuolo and Dave Merritt’s secondary. That leadership consistently shows up during games, making training camp the next-best thing for the time being. Without being able to participate in team or individual drills, there’s only so much the 27-year-old can do.
Despite that, the Chiefs are finding silver linings. Speaking to the media on Monday morning, defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo provided a brief update on Reid. Referring to the context of rookie Jaden Hicks, Spagnuolo revealed that the fourth-round pick is taking advantage of Reid’s unfortunate inactivity.
“You know, one of the things that sticks out about Jaden is he’s tall and long,” Spagnuolo said. “And, yeah, he’s playing a bunch of different positions. He’s going through what Chamarri Conner went through last year where you’re trying to learn everything in the volume of the defense, yet he’s not just learning one spot. J-Reid, we’re not going to have for a little bit here. So it’s a blessing and a curse, right? J-Reid doesn’t get the reps but somebody else gets the reps and right now, it’s Jaden that’s benefitting from it.”
Entering the season, the Kansas City safety room is one of the strongest on the team. At the top, Reid drives the bus and Bryan Cook is working his way back from a late-season ankle injury suffered in 2023. Conner, a Day 3 draft pick last year, came on strong when Cook was hurt and played very well down the stretch. He’s a favorite to fill the third safety role or even function as a nickel cornerback if needed. Hicks, Deon Bush and the newly re-signed Tyree Gillespie serve as added depth.
Still, the temporary void left by Reid will be felt. There’s plenty for him to play for this season – individual accolades, another Super Bowl ring and a new contract – that all starts with laying a good foundation during camp. While there’s no clear timetable for his return, he took to social media on Sunday afternoon to state that he’d get “healthy soon.”
Until that happens, there will be an adjustment period of learning and teaching instead of practicing. Spagnuolo thinks it’ll be good for one of his top vets.
“Yeah, I mentioned that,” Spagnuolo said. “I told him we can use this as a positive and just have him dig deeper into the playbook, not just learn his position, learn the others. He does that anyway – you guys know J-Reid is a pretty sharp dude. But he’s going to have to stay in tune. Him and Jaylen (Watson). If you notice, they can’t be involved in anything but I noticed it today, when we’re doing a walkthrough, they’re back there physically [and] in their mind moving around. That’s really important.”
