![\"Justin](\"https:\/\/heavy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/GettyImages-1454886637-e1741133245932.jpg?quality=65&strip=all&w=780\")
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The Kansas City Chiefs are currently looking down the barrel of the ever-daunting salary cap heading into next week\u2019s looming free agency, from the unenviable angle of being nearly $16 million over the cap.<\/p>\n
Having placed the franchise tag on Pro Bowl guard, Trey Smith, last week, the Chiefs are strapped for cash to spend to both re-sign incumbent starters and make moves in the free agent market from Monday onwards.<\/p>\n
And with the Chiefs having to juggle their books around if they are to simply get under the cap, let alone bring back players, it seems like one starting player will not be with the organization come the start of next season.<\/p>\n
Nate Taylor of The Athletic reports on the\u00a0KC Sports Network\u2018s \u201cOnly Weird Games\u201d podcast that the team will most likely not re-sign safety and defensive \u201clinchpin\u201d\u00a0Justin Reid\u00a0this offseason.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s unlikely the\u00a0#Chiefs\u00a0re-sign safety Justin Reid, per\u00a0@ByNateTaylor\u00a0on Only Weird Games.#KCSN\u00a0|\u00a0#ChiefsKingdom\u00a0pic.twitter.com\/y8ioF7C2BB<\/em><\/p>\n \u2014 KC Sports Network (@KCSportsNetwork)\u00a0March 4, 2025<\/em><\/p>\n Speaking with Seth Keysor and Joshua Brisco, Taylor reveals that Reid will most likely hit the open market come Wednesday, and could sign a deal as early as the start of the legal tampering period on Monday.<\/p>\n \u201cGo ahead and salute [say goodbye to] Justin Reid, I don\u2019t think that\u2019s going to change\u201d, Taylor says to Keysor and Brisco, upon running down a list of the potential re-up ability of the major free agent departures.<\/em><\/p>\n Justin Reid is by no means the be-all or end-all for a Kansas City defense that has been lights out in the postseason for the best part of half a decade under legendary defensive coordinator, Steve Spagnuolo.<\/p>\n Having taken over from free safety, ball-hawk and patroller of the deep ball,\u00a0Tyrann Mathieu, Reid has been an invaluable asset in keeping continuity with the Chiefs\u2019 play style and limiting big plays by opposition QBs \u2013 even if he only has 3 career interceptions in KC.<\/p>\n But the team has already prioritized quarterback,\u00a0Patrick Mahomes\u2018 protection this offseason in tagging Smith, and could be set to put linebacker\u00a0Nick Bolton\u00a0ahead of Reid in the team\u2019s re-signing \u201cwish-list\u201d pecking order.<\/p>\n Whilst the Chiefs already have Leo Chenal and Drue Tranquil, the latter of whom signed a three year, $19 million deal with the team last offseason, as off-the-ball linebackers, Bolton has demonstrated All-Pro caliber play during his best season in 2022 \u2013\u00a0including a very key moment of Super Bowl LVII \u2013 despite not getting recognition from traditional awards.<\/p>\n Reid has had plenty of great moments, but most would not regard the former\u00a0Houston Texan\u00a0as a player with top five production or potential at his position \u2013\u00a0NFL.com\u00a0list him as just their #3 safety this free agency class.<\/p>\n So although it was likely tempting for general manager, Brett Veach and head coach, Andy Reid, to keep the Stanford grad around, who still only just turned 28 years old last month despite hitting free agency for the second time in his career, it figures that the Reid (Justin) will have to pack his things once again for his next adventure in 2025 and beyond.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The Kansas City Chiefs are currently looking down the barrel of the ever-daunting salary cap heading into next week\u2019s looming free agency, from the unenviable angle of… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":39662,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-39661","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nfl"],"yoast_head":"\nNot Financially Viable To Keep Justin Reid Around With Numerous Free Agent Departures<\/h2>\n