With the riches come the spoils for the Kansas City Chiefs. After adding a cornerback and backup tight end today, the team lost two big-time performers from their 2024 squad.
When you are one of the best teams in the NFL and have extended mega dollars to the team’s core, the Kansas City Chiefs lost a pair of players to free agency on Tuesday.
Safety Justin Reid signed a three-year deal with the New Orleans Saints, and Wide Receiver DeAndre Hopkins inked a one-year contract with AFC rival the Baltimore Ravens.
Justin Reid found a new home with a Saints team that is rebuilding its defense. Ironically, the man he replaced in Kansas City at the safety spot, Tyrann Matthieu, plays for New Orleans.
Reid was a super high-profile performer for the Kansas City Chiefs, but they feel they have a trio of great safeties on the roster. Jaden Hicks will take Reid’s spot on the roster. This means Chamarri Connor can return to safety, and Bryan Cook, who could be a free agent after the 2025 season, will man the deep secondary.
The Chiefs are very excited about Hicks, and he showed last season that he can become a playmaker for the defense. His PFF ranking was in the high 80s when he played safety.
On the other side of the ball, DeAndre Hopkins, a mid-season trade acquisition last year, will catch passes from Ravens Quarterback Lamar Jackson. After he joined the Chiefs, he caught on fire but faded down the stretch, and his big drop in the Super Bowl was not the highlights he wanted.
Kansas City has already brought back Hollywood Brown, and with Rashee Rice and Xavier Worthy in the receiver position, they have a young core group. On Monday, Justin Watson signed with the Houston Texans, so the Chiefs have a need for a veteran wide receiver.
I’m not sure how much Hopkins has left in the tank, but the Ravens have a reliable receiver, and since they run the ball so much, he should fit right into his role in their run-first offense.
In other Chiefs news, the team did sign former Minnesota Vikings Tight End Robert Tonyan. He began his career in Green Bay and is known as an accomplished blocker. Tonyan will add depth to the tight end room. He was on the Chiefs practice squad in December.
Earlier in the day, the Chiefs signed Los Angeles Chargers Cornerback Kristian Fulton to become part of the mix on defense. You can check out our thoughts on his acquisition on our Podcast Below!
