KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The prevailing narrative was that the Kansas City Chiefs signed Justin Reid away from the Houston Texans in free agency when they decided to move on from three-time All-Pro safety Tyrann Mathieu.
It was a one-for-one substitution, nice and tidy.
The reality is that Mathieu’s replacement might have already been on the team in the form of Juan Thornhill, who has been an in-and-out of the lineup starter his first three seasons in the league. With the departure of Mathieu and Dan Sorensen in free agency, Thornhill is the only safety on the roster with much experience in coordinator Steve Spagnuolo’s defense.
