The Kansas City Chiefs have a lot of talent on their team and some players are even able to play multiple positions. Chiefs safety Justin Reid got a chance to show off one of his more hidden skills on Sunday, impressing many, including quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
When Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker rolled his ankle in the first quarter of the game against the Arizona Cardinals, the team was in a pinch and needed someone to take over.
Reid is a former soccer player, was a kicker in high school and was the emergency kicker at Stanford, so he was the obvious choice to do the job.
Need me to do kickoff too? Bet. pic.twitter.com/wUUl4B9pCF
— Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) September 12, 2022
Long snapper James Winchester went up to Reid to give him the heads up, saying, "Hey if you get behind, stay ready kicking. Butker, he did something to his ankle."
Reid responded with confidence and one word. "Bet."
He then asked if he was needed to do the kickoff, too, and when he got a yes, once again responded with a confident "bet."
Reid then went over the game plan, asking if he should send the ball into the end zone.
Now that he knew the kicking duties were on his shoulders, or foot, Reid went to the net to practice. While getting reps in is important, making sure you have a handshake down is just as crucial.
Punter Tommy Townsend pulled Reid aside to say, "Aye we gotta get our handshake down real quick."
Once the handshake was perfected and the practice kicks were taken, all Reid was waiting for was an opportunity. The wait did not last long and after the Chiefs scored their second touchdown Reid's number was called.
Reid attempted the point after and nailed it down the middle of the uprights, earning lots of compliments from his teammates. Reid went out again for the kickoff and quarterback Patrick Mahomes could not believe Reid's kicking skills.
"Damn, he's really kicking the heck out the ball. Bro he kicked that thing through the uprights," Mahomes said.
In a week that saw a lot of crucial misses by kickers, Reid was one that was right on the money for his big moment.
The Chiefs went on to defeat the Cardinals 44-21.
Butker, who did return in the second quarter of Sunday's game and kicked a 54-yarder, missed Monday's practice but has not been ruled out for Thursday night's game against the Chargers. Kansas City is working out kicker Matt Ammendola, in case Butker can't go, but they always have Reid to fall back on.
