The Kansas City Chiefs fell one win short of becoming the first team ever to win three consecutive Super Bowls, and now the long road back to that point begins. Like any team that reaches the Super Bowl, the Chiefs have a lot of work to do this offseason to bring back a team that proved to be the best in the AFC.
Unfortunately, you can’t keep everybody in free agency. As the Chiefs work with limited salary cap space, star safety Justin Reid is unlikely to re-sign with the team, according to Nate Taylor of The Athletic via Underdog NFL.
Reid is one of the top safeties on the market, so it’s no surprise that he is getting a lot of attention on the open market. He is an experienced option who is a huge asset in run support while also providing a heady presence in coverage. Despite the Chiefs’ poor showing overall in Super Bowl 59, Reid had a very good game and was a big reason why the Eagles struggled to run the football.
Reid played three seasons in Kansas City, making 265 tackles with three interceptions in 49 starts. The team won two Super Bowls and reached a third during his time there.
The Chiefs opted not to use the franchise tag on Reid this offseason, instead opting to keep standout right guard Trey Smith off the market. Smith was projected to get one of the biggest contracts of anybody this offseason, and it came as no surprise that the Chiefs would try to keep him around and retain one of the best interior offensive line cores in football.
The Chiefs now have a big decision to make on linebacker Nick Bolton, who is also a free agent. Kansas City lost its other starting linebacker, Willie Gay, in free agency last offseason, so re-signing Bolton will be a big priority in order to maintain some continuity in Steve Spagnuolo’s defense. Bolton and Reid were the two leaders of that unit last season, so losing both of them would be a massive blow.
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