Safety Justin Reid answers questions from press after signing with the New Orleans Saints at the Saints Practice Facility in Metairie, Friday, March 14, 2025. (Photo by Sophia Germer, The Times-Picayune)
STAFF PHOTO BY SOPHIA GERMER
Tyrann Mathieu and [Justin Reid](https://www.nola.com/tncms/asset/editorial/07990504-0118-11f0-9a95-9fe71f2e609d/) have intertwined a lot throughout their careers. At first, it was in Houston, where Mathieu served as a mentor for Reid when the latter entered the NFL in 2018. Then, years later, it was Reid who replaced Mathieu in Kansas City after the Chiefs decided to not re-sign the veteran.
Now, this season, the pair reunited again: The Saints signed Reid to a splashy three-year, $30.5 million contract.
“We both get to come in and add our own flavors to the defense,” Reid said.
Reid’s addition was the Saints’ most significant free-agent move this offseason. By luring the two-time Super Bowl champion away from the Chiefs, the Saints hope Reid provides an instant spark to their secondary. New Orleans opted for a marquee signing rather than bring back starter Will Harris, who signed a one-year, $5 million deal with the Washington Commanders.
How much of an impact will Reid provide? If his history is any past indication, the 28-year-old should be a thudding presence in the box and help shore up a porous run defense. His versatility should also pair well with Mathieu, who can also mix and match his roles on the backend.
Let’s take a closer look at the safety position.
### Depth chart (name, height, weight, NFL experience)
Justin Reid, 6-1, 207, 8
Tyrann Mathieu, 5-9, 190, 13
Jordan Howden, 6-0, 209, 3
Jonas Sanker, 6-1, 210, R
J.T. Gray, 6-0, 202, 8
Terrell Burgess, 5-11, 202, 5
Elliot Davison, 6-0, 190, R
### Best case
In the NFL, explosive plays are defined as passes that gain at least 16 yards and runs that go for at least 12 yards. Last season, the Saints’ defense ranked very poorly in that category, allowing 131 such plays. That was the sixth-most across the league.
Reid’s addition may go a long way toward fixing that problem.
The Saints’ breakdowns weren’t all on the back end, but they were a notable part of the issue. Think back to when Jordan Howden ran into Harris and Marshon Lattimore near the end of the Saints’ Week 3 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles on a 60-yard play that swung the game.
The steadiness from Reid and Mathieu should, in theory, cut down on some of the mental errors that plagued the Saints last season. Mathieu isn’t coming off his best season, but he can produce. He had three interceptions to go along with his two forced fumbles in 2024.
The wild card for this position is Sanker. The Saints drafted the Virginia product in the third round for a reason, and he gives the Saints another big, rangy safety. If Mathieu’s play time is limited at all next season — his snap percentage of 86.2 last year was his lowest since 2016 — then perhaps Sanker will get a chance to show what he can do.
Either way, if Reid hits in the way that the Saints intend, then that should lift the overall makeup of the defense. It may also be beneficial for Reid, who has never made a Pro Bowl or All-Pro team.
Reid has praised the way defensive coordinator Brandon Staley used All-Pro safety Derwin James when Staley coached the Los Angeles Chargers. Reid won’t have the same exact role, which Staley calls the star position, but he should still be put in spots to succeed.
### Worst case
One of the more interesting questions of training camp will be how the Saints intend to use Mathieu and Reid together. At their best, they both excel at making plays close to the line of scrimmage — and that’s something that Mathieu hasn’t been asked to do nearly as much since signing with New Orleans in 2022.
The media also didn’t see much of the pairing during OTAs and mandatory minicamp. Mathieu skipped the team’s voluntary workouts and when he returned for camp, his snaps appeared limited. Mathieu was often with the second unit, though the coaches did sprinkle in reps with Reid during those plays, likely to get a look at the pairing.
If that trend continues in camp, that could be a bad sign for Mathieu’s status. It'd still be surprising to see the veteran cut before the season begins, but if his workload doesn’t increase, it’d be fair to wonder if this staff doesn’t see a significant role for him.
The Saints, though, wanted Mathieu back for 2025. The two sides reworked the safety’s contract again this offseason. Perhaps Mathieu’s limited workload in minicamp can simply be chalked up to not being as familiar with the playbook due to his earlier missed time. But his usage is worth keeping an eye on, anyway.
Elsewhere, the Saints need Reid to pan out. Though his salary in manageable — he’s the league’s 16th highest-paid safety, according to Over the Cap — the safety’s addition was the team’s one major move that didn’t involve re-signing their own.
Reid makes first Pro Bowl of career