Chiefs May Feel Comfortable Letting Top DB Leave

The Kansas City Chiefs are finding themselves in a rather unfamiliar position heading into the offseason: they are in a vulnerable state.

They just got slapped by the Philadelphia Eagles in the Super Bowl, and now, they have a whole lot of difficult decisions to make.

The Chiefs absolutely have to make some roster improvements in the coming months. That much is obvious. They cannot run it back in 2025 with virtually the same team.

Unfortunately, Kansas City's rather tenuous financial situation may make it tough for it to actually find some legitimate upgrades. Plus, the Chiefs have many of their own free agent they have to worry about.

One of them is safety Justin Reid, who has spent the last three years in Kansas City and is coming off of a 2024 campaign in which he recorded 87 tackles, a couple of interceptions and nine passes defended.

Pro Football Focus has ranked Reid 51st on its list of the top 125 free agents in the NFL heading into March, and PFF does not seem too positive that the Chiefs are going to make a concerted effort to bring the veteran defender back into the fold.

"Reid and his camp were probably happy to see a veteran safety in Budda Baker get rewarded with an extension to the tune of three years, $54 million before testing free agency, with Reid set to hit the open market for a second time after joining the Kansas City Chiefs back in 2022," PFF wrote.

Reid almost surely won't receive the same type of pay day as Baker, but the deal did help lift his market, which could rule the Chiefs out.

"Reid is one of the better run-defending safeties in the NFL, but as we’ve seen time and time again in Kansas City, the Chiefs are never afraid to cycle through defensive backs and find the next man up," PFF concluded.

We definitely saw an example of this last year, when Kansas City felt entirely comfortable letting L'Jarius Sneed go elsewhere (even if the loss of Sneed definitely bit the Chiefs in the Super Bowl).

But Reid is not on the same level as Sneed and is pretty replaceable, so it would not be the least bit surprising to see Kansas City allow the 28-year-old to walk. The Chiefs may be able to find his replacement in the NFL Draft.

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