Justin Reid Named One of NFL's Most Underrated Players

Kansas City's leading safety recently had his name mentioned in an article spotlighting football's under-appreciated contributors.

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

Since coming over via free agency in the 2022 offseason, safety Justin Reid has helped stabilize the Kansas City Chiefs' defense. Taking over for Tyrann Mathieu, Reid has proven to be a comparable leader and a true playmaker in Steve Spagnuolo's secondary.

Despite the credit Reid gets in Kansas City circles, many outside of town don't mention him when referencing the franchise's recent core of championship contributors. Thus, one outlet believes Reid may not get the props he deserves.

In a recent article for Pro Football Network, Lorenzo Reyna listed every NFL club's most underrated or under-appreciated player. Reid was the pick for the Chiefs, with Reyna hinting at the former third-round pick's do-it-all style as a major plus.

"The Super Bowl champs were solid at cornerback during their title run," Reyna wrote. "Justin Reid, though, was the enforcer at safety with 95 tackles, including 74 solo stops and three sacks off blitzes. He’s one of Kansas City’s go-to guys when the Chiefs need a blitz from the secondary. Reid has also swatted seven passes the last two years."

In just two seasons with Kansas City, Reid has seen and done quite a bit. He has 178 tackles, in addition to 14 passes broken up and nine quarterback hits. In coverage, he's allowed back-to-back personal bests with 6.7 and 6.2 yards per target for 2022 and 2023. His 6.9 missed tackle percentage last season was also the lowest of his career thus far.

Advanced stats are also a fan of Reid's game. In his first year as a Chief, he posted a 73.2 composite defensive grade for Pro Football Focus. Out of 26 safeties who played at least 1,000 snaps, that ranked sixth. Last year, his 74.1 pass rush grade ranked third out of 11 safeties with at least 40 reps in that category. Reid's blend of versatility and availability (over 2,000 snaps logged between the '22 and '23 regular seasons) is hard to find, even in the modern NFL.

In 2024, Reid will carry a career-high cap number of $14.25 million. Entering his age-27 campaign, he'll account for 5.7% of the Chiefs' overall salary table. His current deal's average annual value ranks just outside the top 10 for safeties, so an extension could see him sneak in.

While Reid is far from perfect as a player, it'd be hard to argue against a new contract if Kansas City gave him one. He's in his athletic prime, his defensive coordinator loves him and his value as both an on-field coach and a reliable performer is critical to the team's success. If Reid turns in another solid effort in 2024, he won't be regarded as underrated anymore.

That would be the best-case scenario for him and the Chiefs, as a good year from Reid likely means good things for Spagnuolo's entire defense.

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