Surging Chief's Big Game Signals End of Star Veteran's Time in KC

The Chiefs front office has tough decisions to make in the 2025 offseason. One of those involves long-time starter Justin Reid. The veteran safety, who signed a three-year, $31 million deal in 2022, is a pending free agent. GM Brett Veach is generally hesitant to give second contracts to secondary defenders, so his plans for Reid are eagerly anticipated.

The emergence of one young defender, however, is making things easier for Veach. The fourth-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, Jaden Hicks, has been surging in recent weeks.

After playing a career-high 41 snaps and recording an interception against the Browns in Week 15, Hicks followed that up with another interception in the first half against the Texans. His rise makes it easier for the Chiefs to let Reid walk in the offseason.

Emerging Jaden Hicks Signals the End of Chiefs Star’s Time in KC

So far, Reid continues to play every defensive snap he can handle and Hicks' snaps came at the expense of Bryan Cook. However, Cook is a recent second-round pick and he is still under contract, making Reid the more expendable option.

In the first half against the Texans, Reid and Hicks were among the best-graded Chiefs per PFF with 80.8 and 77.1 defensive grades, respectively. As a result, Hicks ended up getting 23 defensive snaps compared to Cook's 16. For the season, Hicks already has a 70.7 PFF grade, placing him among the better Chiefs defenders.

Hicks is now up to three interceptions for the season, making an argument to continue getting more snaps in the final stretch of the season and the playoffs.

Reid will almost certainly be one of the hottest names on the safety market. It is hard to envision Veach beating the market with the contract offer. Considering that this is potentially Reid's last big payday in the NFL, he would be right to prioritize guaranteed salary over staying in Kansas City.

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