Saints to sign former Chiefs safety Justin Reid
03/11/2025
By Ross Jackson
NEW ORLEANS – Another Louisiana-native is on the way home to suit up for the New Orleans Saints and he’ll do so in an eerily similar manner. The New Orleans Saints have signed a new safety hot off the heels of listing former starter Will Harris Jr. to the Washington Commanders.
Per ESPN”s Adam Schefter, the Saints have agreed to terms with former Kansas City Chiefs safety Justin Reid.
Reid will take the exact same NFL path as fellow Louisiana-native and safety Tyrann Mathieu. Both of them started their careers with the Houston Texas, joined the Chiefs later, and then moved on to join the Saints.
The seven-year veteran was a third-round draft pick (No. 68 overall) in the 2018 NFL Draft. He has been branded as an outstanding run-stopping safety that can play very well down near the line of scrimmage. He’s missed just 9.8% of his tackle opportunities throughout his career.
He and Mathieu should be an intriguing and versatile safety tandem in defensive coordinator Brandon Staley’s system. Staley spoke about the need for strong five-defensive back sets in today’s NFL earlier this week. Having a reliable and experienced safety tandem is a must in that equation.
Over his seven years, Reid has totaled 580 combined tackles in 106 games played. In 2024 he reeled in a pair of interceptions, corralled five tackles for a loss, and two hits on the quarterback.
Reid’s contract is reportedly a three-year agreement worth $31.5 million with $22.25 million fully guaranteed. This comes in below his projected three-year, $46.5 million command by Pro Football Focus.
