Justin Quintin Reid (born February 15, 1997) is an American professional

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...

safety Safety is the state of being protected from harm or other danger. Safety can also refer to the control of recognized hazards in order to achieve an acceptable level of risk. Meanings The word 'safety' entered the English language in the 1 ...

for the

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of the

National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a Professional gridiron football, professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National ...

(NFL). He played

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for the

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. He was selected by the

Houston Texans The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston. The Texans compete in the National Football League as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. The team plays its home games at N ...

in the third round of the

2018 NFL draft The 2018 NFL draft was the 83rd annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible players for the 2018 NFL season. The draft was held on April 26–28 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington southwest of Dallas; it was ...

Early life

Reid attended Dutchtown High School in

Geismar, Louisiana Geismar is an unincorporated community in Ascension Parish, Louisiana, United States and is at the heart of Louisiana's chemical corridor. The community is part of the Baton Rouge metropolitan statistical area. Geismar is south of Prairieville ...

. He committed to

Stanford University Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University, is a Private university, private research university in Stanford, California, United States. It was founded in 1885 by railroad magnate Leland Stanford (the eighth ...

to play

College career

Reid played at Stanford from 2015 to 2017. After his junior season in 2017, he decided to forgo his senior year and enter the

. During his career, he had 170 tackles, six

interceptions In ball-playing competitive team sports, an interception or pick is a move by a player involving a pass of the ball—whether by foot or hand, depending on the rules of the sport—in which the ball is intended for a player of the same team bu ...

and one sack.

Professional career

Pre-draft

On January 9, 2018, Reid announced his decision on

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to forgo his remaining eligibility and enter the 2018 NFL draft. Reid attended the

NFL Scouting Combine The NFL Scouting Combine is a week-long showcase occurring every February at Lucas Oil Stadium (and formerly at the RCA Dome until 2008) in Indianapolis, where college football players perform physical and mental tests in front of National Foot ...

and completed all of the combine and positional drills. He was a top performer at his position in the majority of drills and finished second among safeties in the 40-yard dash, third in the short shuttle and three-cone drill, fifth in the broad jump, eighth in the vertical jump, and 11th in the bench press. On March 22, 2018, Reid participated at Stanford's

pro day The NFL draft, officially known as the Annual Player Selection Meeting, is an annual event which serves as the most common source of player recruitment in the National Football League. Each team is given a position in the drafting order in reve ...

, but chose to stand on his combine numbers and only performed positional drills. He attended pre-draft visits and private workouts with multiple teams, including the

Pittsburgh Steelers The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. Founded in 1933 P ...

Carolina Panthers The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Panthers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. The t ...

Seattle Seahawks The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle. The Seahawks compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC West, West division. The club entered the NFL a ...

Detroit Lions The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit. The Lions compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. The team plays their home game ...

, and

Philadelphia Eagles The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The team plays its ...

. At the conclusion of the pre-draft process, Reid was projected to be a first or second round pick by NFL draft experts and scouts. He was ranked as the top free safety prospect in the draft by DraftScout.com and was ranked as the third best safety in the draft by Scouts Inc. and ''

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''.

Houston Texans

The

selected Reid in the third round (68th overall) of the

. Reid was the fifth safety drafted in 2018. Reid unexpectedly fell from the first or second round and was ranked among the top steals of the 2018 NFL Draft.

2018

On June 10, 2018, the Houston Texans signed Reid to a four–year, $4.06 million contract that includes a

signing bonus A signing bonus or sign-on bonus is a sum of money paid to a new employee (including a professional sports person) by a company as an incentive to join that company. They are often given as a way of making a compensation package more attractive ...

of $1.03 million. Throughout training camp, Reid competed for the role of starting free safety against Kareem Jackson. Head coach Bill O'Brien named Reid as a backup safety to start the regular season, behind starters Kareem Jackson and Tyrann Mathieu. On September 9, 2018, Reid made his professional regular season debut in the Texans' season-opener at the

New England Patriots The New England Patriots are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area. The Patriots compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The Pa ...

and recorded one solo tackle and a pass deflection in a 27–20 loss. The following week, Reid earned his first career start, starting at free safety, and recorded five combined tackles (four solo) during a 17–20 loss at the

Tennessee Titans The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee. The Titans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. They play the ...

. On October 7, 2018, he made six combined tackles (five solo) and made his first career

interception In Ball game, ball-playing Competitive sport, competitive team sports, an interception or pick is a move by a player involving a pass of the ball—whether by foot or hand, depending on the rules of the sport—in which the ball is intended for ...

off of pass attempt by

Dak Prescott Rayne Dakota Prescott (; born July 29, 1993) is an American professional football quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Mississippi State Bulldogs, twice earning first-team ...

intended for Deionte Thompson in a 19–16 win over the

Dallas Cowboys The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. T ...

. Prior to Week 6, Reid became the starting free safety for the remainder of the season after Kareem Jackson was moved back to cornerback following an injury to cornerback Aaron Colvin. In Week 8, he had nine combined tackles (five solo), a season-high two pass deflections, and had his second pick of the season on Brock Osweiler in the Texans' 42–23 loss to the

Miami Dolphins The Miami Dolphins are a professional American football team based in the Miami metropolitan area. The Dolphins compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The team ...

. The following week, Reid collected a season-high ten combined tackles (nine solo) and recoverd a fumble during a 19–17 victory at the

Denver Broncos The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver. The Broncos compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC West, West division. The team is headquartered in E ...

. On November 18, 2018, he recorded four combined tackles (three solo), two pass deflections, and scored his first career touchdown after intercepting a pass by Alex Smith while covering tight end

Jordan Reed Jordan Reed (born July 3, 1990) is an American former professional American football, football player who was a tight end in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Florida Gators football, Florida Gators and was dr ...

in the endzone and returned it 101 yards in the Texans' 23–21 win at the

Washington Redskins The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East ...

. He finished his

rookie A rookie is a person new to an occupation, profession, or hobby. In sports, a ''rookie'' is a professional athlete in their first season (or year). In contrast with a veteran who has experience, a rookie is typically considered needing more tra ...

season in 2018 with a total of 88 combined tackles (70 solo), ten pass deflections, three interceptions, and one touchdown in 16 games and 12 starts. Pro Football Focus had Reid finish his rookie season with an overall grade of 75.2. Justin Reid

2019

He successfully underwent surgery on his wrist during the offseason to repair what was described as mild wear and tear". Entering training camp, Reid was projected to be a starter at safety after they lost both Tyrann Mathieu and Kareem Jackson in free agency. In July, Reid had was involved in a car crash when a suspected drunk driver crashed into his vehicle. Fortunately, he did not suffer any serious injuries and returned to practice a week later. Defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel decided to pair Reid and Tashaun Gipson as the starting safeties to begin the regular season. In Week 4, he collected a season-high ten combined tackles (nine solo) during a 19–16 loss to the

. In Week 2 of the 2019 season against the

Jacksonville Jaguars The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida. The Jaguars compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. The team ...

, Reid made four tackles and stopped running back Leonard Fournette on a two point conversion attempt as the Texans won 13–12. On November 17, 2019, Reid produced three solo tackles before exiting the game after sustaining a

concussion A concussion, also known as a mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI), is a head injury that temporarily affects brain functioning. Symptoms may include headache, dizziness, difficulty with thinking and concentration, sleep disturbances, a brief ...

as the Texans were routed by the

Baltimore Ravens The Baltimore Ravens are a professional American football team based in Baltimore. The Ravens compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The team plays its home g ...

7–41. He was sidelined for the Texans' Week 11 victory over the

Indianapolis Colts The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. The Colts compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. Since the 2008 India ...

. On December 21, 2019, Reid recorded four solo tackles, a pass deflection, and intercepted a pass thrown by Jameis Winston and recovered a fumble lost by Peyton Barber during the 23–20 win against the

Tampa Bay Buccaneers The Tampa Bay Buccaneers (colloquially known as the Bucs) are a professional American football team based in Tampa, Florida. The Buccaneers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC S ...

. He finished his sophomore season with a total of 77 combined tackles (56 solo), five pass deflections, two interceptions, and a fumble recovery in 15 games and 15 starts. His overall grade from Pro Football Focus was 76.7 in 2019. The

finished atop the

AFC South The American Football Conference – Southern Division or AFC South is one of the four Division (sport), divisions of the American Football Conference (AFC) in the National Football League (NFL). It was created before the 2002 NFL season, 200 ...

with an 11–5 record, clinching a playoff berth. On January 4, 2020, Reid started in his first postseason appearance and recorded seven combined tackles (four solo) in a 21–19 overtime victory against the

Buffalo Bills The Buffalo Bills are a professional American football team based in the Buffalo–Niagara Falls metropolitan area. The Bills compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East div ...

in the NFC Wildcard Game. On January 12, 2020, Reid had three solo tackles and a pass deflection as the Texans lost 31–51 at the

Kansas City Chiefs The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) West division. Established in 1959 ...

in the Divisional Round. On January 22, 2020, it was revealed that Reid was diagnosed with a torn labrum in his shoulder, confessing that he was plagued with the injury since the season began.

2020

He returned as the starting free safety in 2020 and was paired with strong safety Eric Murray. In Week 2, Reid collected a season-high ten combined tackles (eight solo) during a 16–33 loss against the

. On October 5, 2020, the Houston Texans fired head coach Bill O'Brien after they began the season with an 0–4 record. Defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel acted as interim head coach for the rest of the season. On November 22, 2020, Reid recorded nine combined tackles (seven solo) and made his first career sack on

Cam Newton Cameron Jerrell Newton (born May 11, 1989) is an American former professional American football, football player who was a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL) for 11 seasons, primarily with the Carolina Panthers. He is the NFL le ...

during a 27–20 victory against the

. On December 16, 2020, the Houston Texans placed Reid on

injured reserve The injured reserve list ( IR list) is a designation used in North American professional sports leagues for athletes who suffer injuries and become unable to play. The exact name of the list varies by league; it is known as "injured reserve" in ...

after suffering a hand injury in Week 14 and subsequently missed the last three games of the season (Weeks 16–18). He finished the

2020 NFL season The 2020 NFL season was the 101st season of the National Football League (NFL). The regular season started with the NFL Kickoff Game on September 10, in which defending Super Bowl LIV champion Kansas City defeated Houston. The playoffs were ...

with a total of 83 combined tackles (62 solo), four pass deflections, and two sacks in 13 games and 13 starts. He finished with an overall grade of 60.7 from Pro Football Focus in 2020.

2021

He entered training camp and was expected to remain as the starting free safety under new defensive coordinator

Lovie Smith Lovie Lee Smith (born May 8, 1958) is an American football coach. He has served as the head coach of the Chicago Bears, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and Houston Texans of the National Football League (NFL) and the Illinois Fighting Illini. Smith has be ...

. Head coach David Culley named Reid and Eric Murray the starting safeties to begin the regular season. On September 19, 2021, Reid recorded four solo tackles, a pass deflection, a forced fumble, and intercepted a pass thrown by

Baker Mayfield Baker Reagan Mayfield (born April 14, 1995) is an American professional football quarterback for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Texas Tech Red Raiders and the Oklahoma Sooners ...

as the Texans lost 21–31 at the

Cleveland Browns The Cleveland Browns are a professional American football team based in Cleveland. The Browns compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The team is named after ...

. He was inactive for a Week 3 loss to the

after injuring his knee. In Week 8, he collected a season-high ten combined tackles (five solo) during a 22–38 loss to the

. Reid suffered a concussion and was sidelined for a Week 15 victory against the

. He finished with 66 combined tackles (41 solo), four pass deflections, and two interceptions in 13 games and 13 starts. He finished the 2021 NFL season with an overall grade of 50.8 from Pro Football Focus.

Kansas City Chiefs

2022

On May 14, 2022, the

signed Reid to a three–year, $31.50 million contract that includes $20.48 million guaranteed and a signing bonus of $10.50 million. The Chiefs signed Reid following the departures of Tyrann Mathieu and

Daniel Sorensen Daniel Sorensen (born March 5, 1990) is an American professional American football, football Safety (gridiron football position), safety. He played college football at BYU Cougars football, BYU. College career Leaving his home state of Californ ...

. He was projected to earn the role as the starting free safety, replacing Tyrann Mathieu. Head coach

Andy Reid Andrew Walter Reid (born March 19, 1958) is an American professional American football, football coach who is the head coach for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League (NFL). Reid was previously the head coach of the Philadelphi ...

selected Reid and Juan Thornhill as the starting safeties to begin the season. On September 11, 2022, Reid started in the Kansas City Chiefs' season-opener at the

Arizona Cardinals The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in the Phoenix metropolitan area. The Cardinals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC West, West division. The ...

and had four combined tackles (two solo) while also filling in as the kicker following an injury to kicker Harrison Butker. He went 1 of 2 on extra points and had a touchback before Butker returned to the game, but Reid would continue to fill in for kickoffs, kicking three more of them into the end zone for touchbacks as the Chiefs won 44–21. In Week 16, he racked up a season-high eight combined tackles (five solo) during a 24–10 victory over the

. In his first season as a member of the Kansas City Chiefs, Reid started all 17 regular season games and finished the 2022 NFL season with a total of 83 combined tackles (59 solo), seven pass deflections, and one sack. Pro Football Focus had Reid finish the season with an overall grade of 73.2. The

finished the

2022 NFL season The 2022 NFL season was the 103rd season of the National Football League (NFL). The season began on September 8, 2022, with the defending Super Bowl LVI champion 2022 Los Angeles Rams season, Los Angeles Rams falling to 2022 Buffalo Bills sea ...

atop the

AFC West The American Football Conference – Western Division or AFC West is one of the four divisions of the American Football Conference (AFC) in the National Football League (NFL). The division comprises the Denver Broncos, Kansas City Chiefs, ...

with a 14–3 record and earned a first round bye in the playoffs. On January 29, 2023, Reid started in the AFC Championship Game and collected seven solo tackles and a pass deflection as the Chiefs defeated the

Cincinnati Bengals The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional American football team based in Cincinnati. The Bengals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The team plays its h ...

23–20. On February 12, 2023, Reid started in

Super Bowl LVIII Super Bowl LVIII was an American football game played to determine the champion of the National Football League (NFL) for the 2023 NFL season, 2023 season. A rematch of Super Bowl LIV four years prior, the American Football Conference (AFC) 20 ...

at free safety alongside strong safety Mike Edwards and recorded seven combined tackles (five solo) in the Chiefs' 38–35 victory against the

. He earned his first

Super Bowl ring The Super Bowl ring is an award in the National Football League given to the team members of the winning team of the league's annual championship game, the Super Bowl. The Super Bowl ring offers a collectible memento for the actual players and t ...

as a member of the Kansas City Chiefs in 2022.

2023

Reid returned as the starting free safety under defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo in 2023, but was paired with strong safety Bryan Cook following the departure of Juan Thornhill. On October 12, 2023, he recorded five combined tackles (four solo), a pass deflection, one sack, and intercepted a pass by

Russell Wilson Russell Carrington Wilson (born November 29, 1988) is an American professional American football, football quarterback for the New York Giants of the National Football League (NFL). He has primarily played for the Seattle Seahawks. With the Sea ...

to tight end Greg Dulcich during a 19–8 victory against the

. In Week 13, he collected a season-high ten combined tackles (nine solo) during a 19–27 loss at the

Green Bay Packers The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. They ar ...

. He finished the season with a total of 95 combined tackles (74 solo), seven pass deflections, three sacks, and one interception in 16 games and 16 starts. He received an overall grade of 57.7 from Pro Football Focus in 2023. The Kansas City Chiefs finished the

2023 NFL season The 2023 NFL season was the 104th season of the National Football League (NFL). The regular season began on September 7, 2023, with defending Super Bowl LVII champion Kansas City losing to Detroit in the NFL Kickoff Game, and ended on January ...

first in the AFC West with an 11–6 record. In the AFC Wildcard Game, the Chiefs defeated the

26–7. On January 21, 2024, Reid recorded 11 combined tackles (eight solo) as the Chiefs defeated the

27–24 in the Divisional Round. In the AFC Championship Game, the Kansas City Chiefs defeated the

17–10 to advance to the Super Bowl. On February 11, 2024, Reid started in

and made five combined tackles (four solo) and was credited with half a sack as the Chiefs defeated the

San Francisco 49ers The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners and nicknamed the Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member ...

25–22. Reid recorded nine tackles and 0.5 sacks in the Super Bowl.

2024

He returned as the starting free safety under defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo and started alongside free safety Bryan Cook. On September 5, 2024, he started in the Kansas City Chiefs' home-opener against the

and collected a season-high nine combined tackles (eight solo) in the Chiefs 27–20 victory. In Week 17, Reid made five solo tackles and intercepted a pass by Russell Wilson to tight end Pat Freiermuth during a 29–10 victory at the

. He started in 16 games which he appeared in and recorded 87 combined tackles (61 solo), nine pass deflections, and two interceptions. He received an overall grade of 78.2 from Pro Football Focus in 2024, which ranked 10th among all qualifying safeties. The Kansas City Chiefs finished the

2024 NFL season The 2024 NFL season was the 105th season of the National Football League (NFL). The season began on September 5, 2024, with reigning Super Bowl champion Kansas City defeating Baltimore in the NFL Kickoff Game. The regular season concluded on ...

a top the AFC West with a 15–2 record to clinch a first round bye. On January 18, 2025, Reid made seven combined tackles (five solo) and one pass break up during a 23–14 win against the

in the AFC Wildcard Game. The following week, they defeated the

32–29 in the AFC Championship Game. On February 9, 2025, Reid started in

Super Bowl LIX Super Bowl LIX was an American football championship game played to determine the champion of the National Football League (NFL) for the 2024 NFL season, 2024 season. In a rematch of Super Bowl LVII two years prior, the National Football Conf ...

and made seven combined tackles (five solo) as the Chiefs lost 40–22 against the

New Orleans Saints

2025

On March 12, 2025, Reid signed with the

on a three–year, $31.50 million contract that includes $22.25 million guaranteed upon signing.

NFL career statistics

Regular season statistics

Postseason statistics

Personal life

Reid's older brother,

Eric The given name Eric, Erich, Erikk, Erik, Erick, Eirik, or Eiríkur is derived from the Old Norse name ''Eiríkr'' (or ''Eríkr'' in Old East Norse due to monophthongization). The first element, ''ei-'' may be derived from the older Proto-N ...

, also played safety in the NFL. Reid is a two-time champion of the

Chess.com Chess.com is an internet chess server and social networking website. One of the largest chess platforms in the world, the site operates on a freemium model in which some features are available for free, and others are available via subscription ...

BlitzChamps tournaments, defeating Kyler Murray in the grand final match of each event. Reid received chess coaching from James Canty.

References

External links

Stanford Cardinal bioKansas City Chiefs bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Reid, Justin 1997 births Living people People from Prairieville, Louisiana Players of American football from Louisiana Dutchtown High School (Louisiana) alumni American football safeties Stanford Cardinal football players Houston Texans players 21st-century American sportsmen Kansas City Chiefs players New Orleans Saints players