It is quite common to say that the 13-1 Kansas City Chiefs shouldn’t be what their record is, but that’s just adding fuel to the fire for the back-to-back champions.
Certainly, the Chiefs won several games after their last possession, and the ball has often bounced their way – literally and figuratively.
But Chiefs safety Justin Reid is literally thanking those who doubt what the Chiefs can do in the playoffs.
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Justin Reid #20 of the Kansas City Chiefs celebrates a defensive stop against the Las Vegas Raiders during the fourth quarter of the game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium on November 29, 2024 in Kansas City, Missouri. (David Eulitt/Getty Images)
“Thank you for the motivation. We appreciate the motivation that people give us,” Reid recently told Fox News Digital. “Despite the fact that they’ve won two championships in a row, despite everything they said last year, they still don’t believe it. And we appreciate that. That makes us excited when we hear it. I like the extra motivation. It gets me excited and it makes me go out and prove a point.
“They never have to learn. We just keep showing up.”
Reid has won two Super Bowls with the Chiefs, but his ring in February wasn’t the only championship he won this year. He also took home the BlitzChamps title from Chess.com.
Reid was always intrigued by chess, but took it more seriously when he entered the NFL – and now it’s become somewhat of a fixture in the locker room.
“We have a tradition where we play every night before the game. Just when we get done with team meetings, I have a chess board in my locker, guys come over and we play quick five-minute games. Guys from the front office come down. Players play, and if you win you stay, you lose and you get back in line,” Reid said.
Kansas City Chiefs safety Justin Reid (20) in the fourth quarter of an NFL game between the Cincinnati Bengals and Kansas City Chiefs on September 15, 2024 at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, MO. (Scott Winters/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
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The security added that it has become a combination of both superstition and stimulating the brain before a competition.
“You can’t always dive too deep into something. It’s nice to take your mind off one topic and do something else. I think it’s kind of fun for that and it’s become a bit of a tradition that We just always do that now.” he says.
NFL Films will release a documentary about Reid’s chess title and how other NFL stars got involved. The title also gave Reid the opportunity to raise money for his own charity.
“Everyone uses the same ‘it’s a chess game,’ whether it’s football, business or whatever,” Reid said, adding that it’s a good way for people to connect. “It’s a way to use tactics and be three steps ahead of your opponent. It’s nice that they promote it. I think it’s good, and I think it’s a fun game for everyone to play.”
Reid faces his former Houston Texans on Saturday afternoon as the Chiefs are in the final homestretch. And since he’s a reigning champion, he knows exactly what it takes to bring home another Lombardi Trophy.
Justin Reid #20 of the Kansas City Chiefs poses for a portrait with the Vince Lombardi Trophy after Super Bowl LVIII against the San Francisco 49ers at Allegiant Stadium on February 11, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Ryan Kang/Getty Images)
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“You want to play your best football going into the playoffs, and we don’t feel like we played our best football, yeah, that’s great,” Reid said. “There are still ways to build up, still things to do to get better. It’s just about not being satisfied and the weekly preparation. The physical side takes care of itself, but who is mentally prepared and those mental mistakes doesn’t matter if the pressure will make the difference. We’ve been here before, we’ll just keep doing it.”
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