Injured Chiefs Starter Hints at Nearing Return With Cryptic Tweet

Injured Chiefs safety Justin Reid hinted at a possible nearing return on social media Thursday evening, lightly suggesting he may not miss any regular season games after all.

There is legitimate concern that Reid's ailment could linger into Week 1 and beyond, jeopardizing his expanded role as the kickoff man. It's unclear whether Dave Toub still intends to use Reid on special teams given the fear of reinjuring his quad, but he's one of the defense's most important players either way.

Perhaps Reid was just expressing excitement for the return of football during the Hall of Fame Game. However, a shrewd man like Reid knew the implications of his tweet when he sent it.

Chiefs S Justin Reid Hints at Possible Return From Injury

There's only so much you can ascertain from a one-word social media post, yet this is still the biggest sign yet that Reid's return is on the horizon. He's been remarkably durable and consistent in Kansas City, playing in 33 games in addition to playoff contests over the last two years.

With L'Jarius Sneed now in Tennessee, Reid's role in the secondary becomes more important. He's the most experienced defensive back, setting the tone both with his words and physical style of play. If he can't suit up in Week 1, the Chiefs suddenly will have a relatively green secondary against one of the NFL's most potent offensive attacks.

The coaching staff hasn't said much about his status this week. Reid's tweet is a sign that he's getting healthy, though we can't know for sure without any real confirmation. He's got over a month before the Thursday Night Football battle on September 5, theoretically plenty of time to ensure he's physically healthy and ready.

This all might be much ado about nothing, or we could soon see one of the Chiefs' best defenders back on the field.

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