It wasn’t so long ago that safety Justin Reid was suiting up for the Kansas City Chiefs in primetime several times each season. As the leader of a Super Bowl-winning secondary, Reid became accustomed to the media frenzy and swarming coverage of being a part of the primary draw for the National Football League.
In short, when you play for the Chiefs, you get used to the lights.
So it must feel a little weird these days for Reid and a handful of other former Chiefs on the current New Orleans Saints roster, knowing they’ve gone from the epicenter of the NFL's universe to an overlooked franchise.
The Saints are one of just three NFL teams without a single scheduled primetime game in 2025. Zero. The Cleveland Browns and Tennessee Titans are the other two. But it feels like the Saints deserve at least something here when even the New England Patriots or Jacksonville Jaguars or New York Giants are getting major exposure.
Several former Chiefs, including safety Justin Reid, are adjusting to life outside the spotlight
For guys like Reid, who signed a multi-year deal with New Orleans this offseason, the shift has to be jarring.
The Chiefs are scheduled for seven primetime games in 2025, the most in the NFL. They'll open the season in Brazil, play on Thanksgiving, and wrap up Christmas night in front of a global audience. There’s no escaping Patrick Mahomes and company if you tried, since every game feels like a national event.
By contrast, New Orleans is likely to make headlines only for their inability to win or for injuries plaguing the team. Derek Carr's injury and retirement are still the talking point for a franchise likely to go nowhere, and the NFL's lack of scheduling interest shows what they think of the team's chances in 2025.
Reid isn't the only one who will experience this unsettling silence. Fellow safety Tyrann Mathieu, defensive tackle Khalen Saunders, and running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire have all felt it as well, going from the most electric team in football to a broadcasting shrug. It’s not a knock on New Orleans—just a sign of how far the franchise has fallen in the league’s pecking order.
For some players, the arrival in New Orleans might feel like a breath of fresh air. For some players, like Edwards-Helaire, the change of scenery might be invigorating. It's also a homecoming for someone like Reid, who was born in the state of Louisiana.
That said, in Kansas City, every week felt like a playoff game. In New Orleans, the fight is to stay relevant. The Chiefs have been there before as well, as a franchise, but they're currently in their golden era. And for the players who are wearing red and gold right now, it's a frenzy they are unlikely to experience ever again.
