Chiefs are motivated by doubters who say record is a fluke, star says: ‘We’ll just keep showing up’

It’s been rather commonplace to say that the 13-1 Kansas City Chiefs should not be what their record is – but that’s just fuel to the fire for the back-to-back champions.

Sure, the Chiefs have won multiple games on their last possession, and the ball has bounced their way plenty of times – literally and figuratively.

But Chiefs safety Justin Reid, quite literally, is thanking those who doubt what the Chiefs can do in the playoffs.

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“Thanks for the motivation. We appreciate the motivation that people give us,” Reid told Digital in a recent interview. “Despite winning two championships in a row, despite everything that they said last year, they still don’t believe. And we appreciate it. That fires us up when we hear it. I like the extra motivation. It gets me fired up, and it gets me to go out there to prove a point.

“They don’t ever have to [learn]. We’ll just keep showing up.”

Reid has won two Super Bowls with the Chiefs, but his ring back in February wasn’t the only championship he won this year. He also took home Chess.com’s BlitzChamps title. 

Reid was always intrigued with chess but took it more seriously when he got into the NFL – and now, it’s become somewhat of a staple in the locker room.

“We have a tradition where we play every night before the game. Right when we finish team meetings, I have a chess board sitting at my locker, guys come, and we play quick five-minute games. Guys from the front office come down, players play, and if you win, you stay, you lose, 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 safety added it’s become a combination of both superstition and firing up the brain before a game.

“You can’t always be too deep in anything. It’s nice to get your mind off one subject and do something else. I think it’s fun for that and it has become a bit of a tradition that we just always do that now,” he says.

NFL Films will be releasing a documentary about Reid’s chess title and how other NFL stars have gotten involved. The title also gave Reid the ability to raise money for his own charity.

“Everyone uses the same ‘it’s a game of chess’ whether it’s football or business or whatever’s going on,” Reid said, adding it’s a good way for people to connect. “It’s a way of using tactics and being three steps ahead of your opponent. It’s fun they’re promoting it. I think that it’s good, and I think it’s a fun game for anyone to play.”

Reid faces his former Houston Texans on Saturday afternoon as the Chiefs are in the final homestretch. And considering he’s a back-to-back reigning champ, 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 be playing your best football going into the playoffs, and we don’t feel like we’ve played our best football yes, which is great,” said Reid. “There’s still ways to build, still things to do to keep getting better. It’s just about not being satisfied and the preparation each week. The physical side will take care of itself, but whoever’s mentally prepared and doesn’t make those mental mistakes when the pressure’s on is going to be the difference. We’ve been here before, we’ll just keep continuing to do it.” 

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