Justin Reid: From Stanford Cardinal to NFL Standout

Justin Quintin Reid, born on February 15, 1997, is an American professional football safety who currently plays for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League (NFL). His journey to the NFL began with a successful college career at Stanford University, where he honed his skills and established himself as a promising defensive player.

Early Years and High School Career

Before his collegiate career, Reid prepped at Dutchtown High School (La.) under head coach Benny Saia. There, he lettered in football, track and field, and soccer. He was a four-star recruit by Scout and 247Sports. 247Sports ranked him as the nation’s eighth-best safety. In 2014, he was a team captain, all-state, and all-metro selection. In 2013, he earned all-district honors. In track and field, he was an all-state and all-metro selection in 2013, leading his team to a state runner-up finish. He was also a Watkins Award finalist.

College Career at Stanford

Reid played college football for the Stanford Cardinal from 2015 to 2017. During his time at Stanford, he demonstrated his versatility and impact on the field, earning recognition for his performance both athletically and academically.

Freshman Year (2015)

In his freshman year, Reid played in 12 games, making his career debut at Northwestern in the season opener. He recorded his first career tackle at USC. By the end of the season, he had accumulated 23 tackles, including three at Oregon State, four against UCLA, two with one interception at Colorado, four against Oregon, three solo tackles and one pass breakup versus USC in the Pac-12 Championship Game, and two tackles against Iowa in the Rose Bowl.

Sophomore Year (2016)

As a sophomore, Reid earned All-Pac-12 honorable mention and Pac-12 All-Academic honorable mention. He played in 13 games, contributing both in tackles and pass breakups. He recorded five tackles and one pass breakup against Kansas State, one pass breakup at UCLA, four solo tackles (1.0 tackle for loss) and one pass breakup at Washington. Additionally, he tallied six tackles (five solo) against Washington State, six tackles (three solo) against Colorado, four tackles (three solo) at Arizona, a team-high five tackles (three solo) and two pass breakups against Oregon State, a team-high 11 tackles (10 solo) and 3.0 tackles for loss at Oregon, five tackles (three solo) at Cal, three tackles (two solo) and two pass breakups against Rice, and six tackles against North Carolina in the Sun Bowl.

Junior Year (2017)

Reid's junior year was particularly impressive, earning him several accolades, including FWAA All-America second team (defensive back), AP All-America second team (safety), and All-Pac-12 first team honors. He was also named to the Pac-12 All-Academic second team and was included on the Bednarik Award and Jim Thorpe Award watch lists. He was also named Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Week on October 9.

In 2017, Reid recorded 99 tackles (52 solo), 6.5 tackles for loss, 1.0 sack, five interceptions, and six pass breakups. He led Pac-12 players and ranked 11th nationally with five interceptions, averaging 0.4 interceptions per game (second in the Pac-12). He also ranked 14th among Pac-12 players with 7.1 tackles per game.

Some of his standout performances during the season included:

Three tackles (one for loss) vs. Rice
Seven tackles (four solo) and one interception at USC
Six tackles (all solo) at San Diego State
Team-high nine tackles (five solo), interception, two pass breakups vs. UCLA
Team-high nine tackles (two solo), two interceptions, one pass breakup, 0.5 tackle for loss vs. Arizona State
Team-high eight tackles (six solo), 1.0 tackle for loss, one interception at Utah
Six tackles (two solo), 0.5 tackle for loss vs. Oregon
Six tackles (two solo) at Oregon State
Seven tackles (one solo) at Washington State
Eight tackles (four solo) vs. Washington
Team-high 10 tackles (three solo) and 0.5 tackles for loss vs. Cal
Nine tackles (three solo), one sack and one pass breakup vs. Notre Dame
Nine tackles (six solo), 1.0 tackle for loss, one fumble recovery vs. USC (Pac-12 Championship Game)
Two tackles (one solo), 1.0 tackle for loss, two pass breakups vs. TCU (Alamo Bowl)

After his junior season in 2017, Reid decided to forgo his senior year and enter the 2018 NFL draft.

NFL Draft and Houston Texans

Leading up to the 2018 NFL Draft, Reid participated at Stanford's pro day on March 22, 2018, but chose to stand on his combine numbers and only performed positional drills. He attended pre-draft visits and private workouts with multiple teams, including the Pittsburgh Steelers, Carolina Panthers, Seattle Seahawks, Detroit Lions, and Philadelphia Eagles.

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Pre-Draft Projections

At the conclusion of the pre-draft process, Reid was projected to be a first or second round pick by NFL draft experts and scouts.

Houston Texans (2018-2021)

Reid was selected by the Houston Texans in the third round (68th overall) of the 2018 NFL Draft.

2018 Season

On September 9, 2018, Reid made his professional regular season debut in the Texans' season-opener against the New England Patriots, recording one solo tackle and a pass deflection in a 27-20 loss. On October 7, 2018, he made six combined tackles (five solo) and his first career interception off of Dak Prescott in a 19-16 win over the Dallas Cowboys. Prior to Week 6, Reid became the starting free safety for the remainder of the season after Kareem Jackson was moved back to cornerback following an injury to Aaron Colvin. In Week 8, he had nine combined tackles (five solo), a season-high two pass deflections, and his second interception of the season off of Brock Osweiler in a loss to the Miami Dolphins. The following week, Reid collected a season-high ten combined tackles (nine solo) and recovered a fumble during a victory against the Denver Broncos. On November 18, 2018, he recorded four combined tackles (three solo), two pass deflections, and scored his first career touchdown after intercepting a pass by Alex Smith and returning it 101 yards in a win against the Washington Redskins. He successfully underwent surgery on his wrist during the offseason to repair what was described as "mild wear and tear".

2019 Season

Entering training camp, Reid was projected to be a starter at safety after the Texans lost both Tyrann Mathieu and Kareem Jackson in free agency. In July, Reid was involved in a car crash when a suspected drunk driver crashed into his vehicle. On September 15, 2019, Reid made eight combined tackles and stopped running back Leonard Fournette on a two-point conversion attempt as the Texans won 13-12. On November 17, 2019, Reid produced three solo tackles before exiting the game after sustaining a concussion as the Texans were routed by the Baltimore Ravens. He was sidelined for the Texans' Week 11 victory over the Indianapolis Colts. On December 21, 2019, Reid recorded four solo tackles, a pass deflection, intercepted a pass thrown by Jameis Winston, and recovered a fumble lost by Peyton Barber during a win against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He finished his sophomore season with 77 combined tackles (56 solo), five pass deflections, two interceptions, and a fumble recovery in 15 games and 15 starts. The Houston Texans finished atop the AFC South with an 11-5 record, clinching a playoff berth. On January 4, 2020, Reid started in his first postseason appearance and recorded seven combined tackles (four solo) in an overtime victory against the Buffalo Bills in the AFC Wildcard Game. On January 12, 2020, Reid had three solo tackles and a pass deflection as the Texans lost to the Kansas City Chiefs in the Divisional Round.

2020 Season

In Week 2, Reid collected a season-high ten combined tackles (eight solo) during a loss against the Baltimore Ravens. On October 5, 2020, the Houston Texans fired head coach Bill O'Brien after they began the season with an 0-4 record. Defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel acted as interim head coach for the rest of the season. On November 22, 2020, Reid recorded nine combined tackles (seven solo) and made his first career sack on Cam Newton during a victory against the New England Patriots. On December 16, 2020, the Houston Texans placed Reid on injured reserve after suffering a hand injury in Week 14 and subsequently missed the last three games of the season (Weeks 16-18). He finished the 2020 NFL season with 83 combined tackles (62 solo), four pass deflections, and two sacks in 13 games and 13 starts.

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2021 Season

He entered training camp and was expected to remain as the starting free safety under new defensive coordinator Lovie Smith. Head coach David Culley named Reid and Eric Murray the starting safeties to begin the regular season. On September 19, 2021, Reid recorded four solo tackles, a pass deflection, a forced fumble, and intercepted a pass thrown by Baker Mayfield as the Texans lost to the Cleveland Browns. He was inactive for a Week 3 loss to the Carolina Panthers after injuring his knee. In Week 8, he collected a season-high ten combined tackles (five solo) during a loss to the Carolina Panthers. Reid suffered a concussion and was sidelined for a Week 15 victory against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Kansas City Chiefs (2022-2024)

Following the departures of Tyrann Mathieu and Daniel Sorensen, the Chiefs signed Reid. He was projected to earn the role as the starting free safety, replacing Tyrann Mathieu.

2022 Season

On September 11, 2022, Reid started in the Kansas City Chiefs' season-opener against the Arizona Cardinals and had four combined tackles (two solo) while also filling in as the kicker following an injury to kicker Harrison Butker. He went 1 of 2 on extra points and had a touchback before Butker returned to the game, but Reid would continue to fill in for kickoffs, kicking three more of them into the end zone for touchbacks as the Chiefs won 44-21. In Week 16, he racked up a season-high eight combined tackles (five solo) during a victory over the Seattle Seahawks. The Kansas City Chiefs finished the 2022 NFL season atop the AFC West with a 14-3 record and earned a first round bye in the playoffs. On January 29, 2023, Reid started in the AFC Championship Game and collected seven solo tackles and a pass deflection as the Chiefs defeated the Cincinnati Bengals 23-20. On February 12, 2023, Reid started in Super Bowl LVII at free safety alongside strong safety Mike Edwards and recorded seven combined tackles (five solo) in the Chiefs' 38-35 victory against the Philadelphia Eagles.

2023 Season

Reid returned as the starting free safety under defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo in 2023, but was paired with strong safety Bryan Cook following the departure of Juan Thornhill. On October 12, 2023, he recorded five combined tackles (four solo), a pass deflection, one sack, and intercepted a pass by Russell Wilson to tight end Greg Dulcich during a victory against the Denver Broncos. In Week 13, he collected a season-high ten combined tackles (nine solo) during a loss at the Green Bay Packers. He finished the season with 95 combined tackles (74 solo), seven pass deflections, three sacks, and one interception in 16 games and 16 starts. The Kansas City Chiefs finished the 2023 NFL season first in the AFC West with an 11-6 record. In the AFC Wildcard Game, the Chiefs defeated the Miami Dolphins 26-7. On January 21, 2024, Reid recorded 11 combined tackles (eight solo) as the Chiefs defeated the Buffalo Bills 27-24 in the Divisional Round. In the AFC Championship Game, the Kansas City Chiefs defeated the Baltimore Ravens 17-10 to advance to the Super Bowl.

2024 Season

He returned as the starting free safety under defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo and started alongside free safety Bryan Cook. On September 5, 2024, he started in the Kansas City Chiefs' home-opener against the Baltimore Ravens and collected a season-high nine combined tackles (eight solo) in the Chiefs 27-20 victory. In Week 17, Reid made five solo tackles and intercepted a pass by Russell Wilson to tight end Pat Freiermuth during a victory at the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Kansas City Chiefs finished the 2024 NFL season a top the AFC West with a 15-2 record to clinch a first round bye. On January 18, 2025, Reid made seven combined tackles (five solo) and one pass break up during a win against the Houston Texans in the AFC Wildcard Game. The following week, they defeated the Buffalo Bills 32-29 in the AFC Championship Game.

New Orleans Saints (2025-Present)

On March 12, 2025, Reid signed with the New Orleans Saints on a three-year, $31.50 million contract that includes $22.25 million guaranteed upon signing. In Week 12 against the Atlanta Falcons, Reid intercepted a Kirk Cousins pass that ricocheted off of Kyle Pitts' hands, returning the ball 49 yards for a touchdown.

NFL Career Summary

Throughout his NFL career, Justin Reid has proven to be a versatile and impactful player. In seven NFL seasons, Reid has played in 106 career regular season games with 102 starts for the Texans (2018-21) and Kansas City Chiefs (2022-24), recording 565 tackles (412 solo), 23 stops for a loss, six sacks, ten interceptions, with one returned 101 yards for a touchdown, 46 pass breakups, three forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries, 15 special teams stops and one blocked kick. Reid has started all 13 postseason contests he has played in and recorded 79 tackles (58 solo), four stops for a loss, 1.5 sacks and five pass breakups, playing for two Super Bowl champion squads as a member of the Chiefs.

Beyond Football

Reid also enjoys playing chess and has participated in Chess.com's BlitzChamps III and IV tournaments.

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