Justin Reid: Chiefs Recognize 'No Shortcuts' in Three-Peat Pursuit

On a recent podcast appearance, Reid discussed the Chiefs' determination and how leadership is stepping up this offseason.

Feb 11, 2024; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Kansas City Chiefs safety Justin Reid (20) reacts after a play against the San Francisco 49ers during the second quarter of Super Bowl LVIII at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports / Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

It's been emphasized countless times already, but this is far from the last instance: NFL history could be made if the Kansas City Chiefs three-peat as Super Bowl champions.

It's much easier said than done, though, which is why no football club has ever accomplished the elusive feat. With that said, the reigning back-to-back champs have a loaded roster with high-end talent and depth alike. General manager Brett Veach put Kansas City in a good position to compete deep into the playoffs once again. It's a journey or pursuit everyone appears ready to keep embarking on.

That certainly includes safety Justin Reid. Recently appearing on the Green Light podcast with former NFL offensive lineman Chris Long, Reid was honest about his mental approach to a massive challenge.

"It's legacy, it's a competitive nature," Reid said. "I've actually got this 'Man in the Arena' quote behind me, and it's everything that just encompasses. It's about that competitive edge and knowing you're getting everybody's best shot week in and week out and still coming out on top. There's no shortcuts to it. We know how tough it's going to be — no one's going to roll over for us. But the challenge of it is how you write your name in history, man. This is just legacy for us to do something that's never been done before, and that's what sports is about."

Reid is certainly no stranger to a wide variety of team outcomes. Over the course of his rookie contract with the Houston Texans, he was a member of two division-winning teams but also a pair of four-win clubs. Now on the other side of it, he's known nothing but winning with the Chiefs. His experience routinely comes in handy.

Expanding on that backlog of memories, Reid said he and several other Kansas City leaders refuse to let complacency set in.

"The most important thing that has been working in our benefit — because I've also been on teams like that earlier in my career that we've been successful and just assumed it's going to be the same way and then the next year, you get steamrolled," Reid said. "It's that our leadership has been very critical, very determined, very detailed in the approach of not allowing that to creep in. Myself, Chris Jones, (Patrick) Mahomes, (Travis) Kelce. When your leaders don't relax and when your leaders are still pushing the issue and don't allow [you] to say, 'Hey, this just happens naturally,' then everyone else kind of falls in line.

"But if your leaders kind of take their foot off the pedal, then everyone else will too. So I think we're fortunate that the mentality of this team is really strong. And we have some experience. Myself, having been on winning and losing teams and seeing the difference there, our defensive coordinator (Steve) Spagnuolo, who had a top-two defense before and the next year they were 27th. He's been driving that home almost daily for us on we finished top-three [and] not to have that same fall-off and just to know what we're chasing for."

The 2023-24 Chiefs had no easy path to Super Bowl LVIII's championship. At one point late in the regular season, Andy Reid's club was 9-6 and had lost four of six games. It didn't resemble anything like the ultimate winner. Despite that, things turned around in time for a tear through the AFC playoffs and a thrilling comeback against the San Francisco 49ers in February. No matter how many close calls they had, the Chiefs answered the call in the end.

With training camp on the horizon, Reid knows it's time to keep applying pressure and trek ahead.

"That's what it's going to come down to," Reid said. "Because the margins between wins and losses, especially now, it's so small, man. Anything you take your foot off the pedal for can end up being the difference."

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