Former Stanford safety records first INT of season for Kansas City Chiefs

KC's defense came alive on Sunday, with Reid at the center of it all.

October 20, 2024; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle (85) catches the football against Kansas City Chiefs safety Justin Reid (20) during the second quarter at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-Imagn Images / Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

Football runs through Kansas City, even if star quarterback Patrick Mahomes is not at the center of the attention. On Sunday, the Chiefs headed to Levi’s Stadium for a Super Bowl rematch with the San Francisco 49ers, where it was once again Chiefs Kingdom who got the last laugh with a 28-18 victory. But, in what would usually be a game in which Mahomes and Travis Kelce would dominate the headlines, this one was a little different, with the defense, led by Stanford great Justin Reid, really coming through in big spots.

Despite scoring 28 points, Mahomes put together one of the worst regular season performances of his career as he went 16-for-27 for 154 yards and two interceptions, posting a QBR of 80.4 and a passer rating of 44.4. However, the Chiefs defense, which has been one of the best units in the league for about half a decade, prevented the 49ers from really getting anything going, with quarterback Brock Purdy throwing three interceptions being the most prominent story of the game. 

Reid led the defense, making nine total tackles while also recording one of the three interceptions, picking off Purdy on San Francisco’s first offensive drive of the game and erasing the momentum that the 49ers got after stopping Mahomes and the offense on their opening drive. Despite Reid’s pick not leading to a score from the Chiefs, the rest of the game saw their newly energized defense give Purdy arguably the worst game of his career.

His game against the 49ers marks the first time this season that Reid has intercepted a pass and has already matched his total from last season. Reid also led the team in tackles for the first time since week one, when in a 27-20 week one win over the Ravens, he got off to a fast start for the season with a nine tackle game, making eight solo tackles, as the Chiefs began their Super Bowl title defense with a win.

A two-time Super Bowl champion with the Chiefs, Reid began his NFL career with the Houston Texans, who selected him with the 68th overall pick in the 2018 draft, where he spent the first four seasons of his career, eventually becoming an integral part of Houston’s defense. His best year in Houston, and also the best year of his career, was his rookie campaign in 2018 when in 16 games played (12 starts), Reid finished with 88 tackles, a forced fumble, two fumble recoveries and three interceptions, even returning one back 101 yards for a pick six.

In his final season in Houston in 2021, Reid played in 13 games, finishing with 66 tackles, a forced fumble and two interceptions before signing a three-year deal with the Chiefs ahead of the 2022 season.

Playing at Stanford from 2015-2017, Reid had a dominant college career, leaving the school having made 170 tackles, with six interceptions and a sack. His best season was his junior year, where he finished with 99 tackles and five interceptions, leading to him earning a First-team All-Pac-12 selection.

Starting 6-0 for the first time since 2013, the Chiefs have continued to look like a Super Bowl contender yet again, and despite all their injuries, they have their sights set on winning a third straight Super Bowl and becoming the first team ever during the Super Bowl era to accomplish that feat. The next game on their schedule is next Sunday, when the Chiefs hit the road once again to take on division rivals, the Las Vegas Raiders. Kickoff for that game is slated for 1:25 p.m. (PT).