The Kansas City Chiefs fell short in their season opener against the Los Angeles Chargers. The biggest loss of the night came early in the game when Xavier Worthy went down with a shoulder injury after colliding with teammate Travis Kelce on a crossing route.
Without Worthy and Rashee Rice, who is serving a six-game suspension, the Chiefs had to rely on other playmakers. While the Chiefs are used to that after the 2024 season, some of the biggest disappointments against the Chargers came on the defensive side of the ball.
Justin Herbert carved the Chiefs' secondary up, to the tune of 318 yards and three touchdowns, while completing 73.5% of his passes.
This offseason, the Chiefs decided to let Justin Reid walk in free agency, but it already looks like that was a bad decision, as safety Jaden Hicks struggled immensely in this contest.
Chiefs May Regret Letting Justin Reid Walk in Free Agency
Reid left to sign with the New Orleans Saints on a three-year, $31.5 million deal in free agency. With a hole created in the secondary, Hicks stepped into a larger role, and he fell flat on his face in the process.
According to PFF, he was on the field for 39 total defensive snaps but finished with a 29.7 overall grade and 31.2 coverage grade. He allowed four receptions (six targets) for 49 receiving yards and two touchdowns, including a 23-yard touchdown reeled in by Chargers WR Quentin Johnston that put Los Angeles up by two possessions with five minutes left.
Throughout the entire contest, Hicks was a liability in coverage on the back end of the defense, and the results are there to prove it.
These issues are not what the Chiefs were used to back there, as Reid was a stable starter for them throughout his tenure in Kansas City. Over his 49 career games with the Chiefs, Reid had 23 pass deflections and seven interceptions. In 2024, the veteran posted a 77.4 coverage grade and finished with a 73.8 coverage grade during the 2022 season, via PFF.
He gave them some support and reliability in the backend. And with Reid no longer there, fans immediately saw that unit get picked apart.
Simply put, the safety room has to play better going forward for this defense to be as effective as they were in years past. Granted, it was only just one game, but this wasn't a good start to the Chiefs' safety room.