Saints 2025 Year in Review: Justin Reid's ups and downs in homecoming
· Yahoo Sports
Veteran safety Justin Reid was an early target in free agency by the New Orleans Saints last offseason. After starring in his first four years with the Houston Texans, Reid had been a crucial part of three AFC championships and two Super Bowl titles in three years with the Kansas City Chiefs. The Saints signed Reid to a three-year deal worth $31.5 million to bolster their secondary.
Reid was expected to team with veteran Tyrann Mathieu on the back end for new defensive coordinator Brandon Staley. It didn't turn out that way, as Mathieu surprisingly retired at the start of training camp. Instead, Reid would be looked to as the leader of a young defensive backfield.
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Justin Reid Year in Review
- Position: Safety
- Age: 29
- Height: 6-feet, 1 inch
- Weight: 207 pounds
- NFL experience: 8 years (1st with Saints)
- 2025 season: 15 games (15 starts)
Reid joined a New Orleans secondary that had suffered the losses of Marshon Lattimore, Paulson Adebo, Will Harris, and Mathieu from the year before. As he typically does, he started most of the team's games and played the majority of the defensive snaps. He would be looked at as the veteran glue for a defensive backfield that started two rookies and a second-year player.
A playmaker with the Texans and Chiefs, Reid didn't really stand out in that capacity in his first year with the Saints. He didn't have a tackle for loss until Week 6, had only 2 pass breakups through the first half of the season, and did not force or recover a fumble at all during the year. He was also erratic at best in coverage, giving up over 73% completion percentage.
Most of the New Orleans defense showed great improvement as the season progressed. Reid was one of those players, but his arc was not as pronounced. He did play his best ball of the year down the stretch, however, which included an interception return for a touchdown.
Justin Reid recorded 72 tackles over his 15 games. Only two of those were for loss, with just a half sack. Reid had 1 interception and broke up 6 passes. Both numbers were disappointing, considering what was expected of him when signed. Unless the Saints plan on targeting star Ohio State safety Caleb Downs with the eighth overall choice in the draft, then it's unlikely the team will part ways with Reid this offseason. Much more will, and should, be expected from the veteran in his second year with New Orleans.
This article originally appeared on Saints Wire: Saints 2025 Year in Review: Justin Reid's ups and downs in homecoming