The Kansas City Chiefs have a number of offseason decisions they would willingly reverse if they could turn back the clock to the offseason. While the same could be said of the entire league, there is one particular decision that has haunted the Chiefs throughout the 2025 season. Parting ways with safety Justin Reid was justifiable when you understood the difficulty of a tight cap, and the need to pay other pieces.
However, it's hard to ignore the fact that decision hasn't aged well. There is something clearly missing from the KC defense, and that is the presence of Reid.
Reid was such a flexible option for the Chiefs, a piece that could fill a myriad of roles at a high level. This included even being the emergency kicker behind Harrison Butker. His presence and ability to help set the tone in the Kansas City secondary has been lacking and left questions about whether or not the franchise made the right decision. Reid signed a three-year $31.5 million contract with the New Orleans Saints during the 2025 offseason. A deal the Chiefs should regret not matching.
The Chiefs Should Regret Failing to Bring Back Safety Justin Reid in 2025 Offseason
A piece of this regret is bolstered by poor decisions that have the Kansas City defense failing to live up to its expected potential. Whether it was the wasted money on corner Kristian Fulton or star pass rusher Chris Jones failing to live up to his contract, it is easy to point to areas the team could be saving money in favor of keeping Reid.
With this in mind, it is fair to wonder if a future reunion could happen while the Saints are in a clear rebuilding situation. It is a possibility that Reid could return; however, for the moment, it remains near the top of the list in obvious offseason regrets.
It is hard to imagine that the Chiefs lose the games they did to the Bills or Jaguars if Reid is still setting the tone at safety. While the defender was far from perfect, he had a unique ability to find a way to make a play in the game's biggest moment, helping set the tone for a defense that remains underrated over the last two seasons.
This year's unit is clearly missing his presence and would benefit from the veteran returning if that door opens in the seasons to come. For now, the franchise must look back and learn from the mistake and attempt to find improvements in-house as the reality of the current standings sinks in. While there is a long way to go, it is clear the current roster isn't performing up to expectations, and a big piece of this is the underrated loss of Reid.