Louisiana native Justin Reid dubs $31,500,000 move to Saints as “dreams to reality"

On Wednesday, safety Justin Reid expressed how meaningful and exciting it is to be joining the New Orleans Saints. Reid joined the Saints via free agency from the Kansas City Chiefs after signing a three-year, $31.5 million deal with the Louisiana franchise.

As ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter noted on X, the move includes $22.25 million fully guaranteed.

The Saints released an Instagram post featuring Reid and a quote he made after signing with the team.

"Every kid in Louisiana dreams about playing for the New Orleans Saints," Reid said.

The Saints captioned the post with the phrase:

"A dream has become a reality for @JustinqReid ⚜️."

In response, Reid re-posted the photo and added his caption.

"Dreams ➡ Reality," he wrote.

Justin Reid's Instagram Story (IG/@JustinqReid)

New Orleans Saints are a better team than their record last year shows

Last season, the Saints were decimated by injuries to key offensive and defensive stars. Quarterback Derek Carr, running back Alvin Kamara, wide receivers Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed, linebacker Pete Werner and cornerback Paulson Adebo all missed significant time last year for the Saints.

Before the majority of the injuries began, the Saints had a record of 2-1, were averaging 34.3 points per game, and were giving up an average of only 14.7 points per contest.

Though that is not to say that the team would have stayed at that rate or made the playoffs, it does highlight how injuries did play a part in the disastrous remainder of the season the team had. Finishing the year with an overall record of 5-12 after starting the campaign 2-1 is terrible. However, the team may not be as far away from success as it seems.

The signing of Reid is notable as he has been one of the best safeties in the NFL since entering the league. Most recently with the Chiefs, Reid also spent time with the Houston Texans before joining New Orleans. Last season, Reid had 87 total tackles, 61 solo tackles, and two interceptions for the Chiefs.

With New Orleans re-signing star Chase Young to an extension, signing the star safety Reid, and having adequate time to recover from all of the injuries of last year, the Saints have a chance to challenge for the playoffs once again next season.