NFL Cover Zero: Going to the Draft? Saints safety Justin Reid

Summary

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NFL Cover Zero: Going to the Draft? Saints Safety Justin Reid

KSR Podcast | iHeartPodcasts and Sports Talk 790 (WKRD-AM)
Episode Date: April 9, 2026
Hosts: Drew Franklin, Billy Rutledge, Matt Jones
Special Guest: Justin Reid (New Orleans Saints Safety, two-time Super Bowl Champion)

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Episode Overview

This episode of NFL Cover Zero combines fan-driven NFL Draft chat with an in-depth conversation featuring Justin Reid, safety for the New Orleans Saints and former Kansas City Chief and Houston Texan. The hosts discuss draft experiences, speculation surrounding the top draft picks, and the evolving spectacle of the NFL Draft itself. Justin Reid shares his perspective on building a culture with the Saints, reflections on his championship years with the Chiefs, the infectiousness of Kansas City’s team-first mentality, and his remarkably unique locker room chess tradition. The episode also touches on topics like fatherhood, returning to play near his hometown, and New Orleans culture.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

The NFL Draft—Tradition, Changes, and the Spectacle

[02:42–10:31]

• Draft Experience and Missing Out:

  • The crew laments missing the draft in Pittsburgh, remembering the unforgettable sea of people at past events (notably, Nashville). Obligations (babies, wedding showers) keep Drew, Billy, and Matt away this year.
  • [03:48] Billy Rutledge: "It does. One of the coolest experiences I had was Nashville for the draft. That was just sea of people. A fun multi day event..."

• Top Pick Opts to Stay Home:

  • Consensus No. 1 pick, Fernando Mendoza, is skipping the draft event for a private family celebration. The hosts debate the merits and drama of "green room" moments vs. home celebrations.
  • [04:47] Drew Franklin: "...it's a big deal when you're in that first round, especially pick one to go up on stage and shake the commission's hand... it's looking like he might sit it out as well."

• Draft Memories and Awkward Moments:

  • Recapping the COVID-era draft—memorable personal glimpses and viral moments.
  • The pain and fame brought by players dropping in the green room (Will Levis, Geno Smith, Lamar Jackson).
  • [09:23] Billy Rutledge: "...his family's all around him. Right. And you know, that happens, you know, quite more often than we think."

• First Round Focus:

  • The hosts discuss viewing habits, storylines, and how the spectacle transcends simple player selection.
  • [08:47] Drew Franklin: “...I get why some guys are starting to have their own parties...but I love watching them all in the green room...it's just, it's part of it. And I hope we don't get too far away..."

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Interview: Justin Reid—Saints Safety, Super Bowl Champion

Background and Joining the Saints

[14:26–15:53]

• Personal Connection: Reid signed with the Saints, calling it “a full circle moment” since he grew up in Baton Rouge rooting for the team. He anticipated growing pains with a new culture and staff, but chemistry came faster than expected due to the emergence of QB Tyler Shuck.
  • [15:17] Justin Reid: "One was it's full circle moment for me to come back and play for the team that I grew up watching."

Tyler Shuck’s Emergence

[15:53–16:45]

• Charisma and Leadership: Despite being a rival Louisville alum, Shuck earned Reid’s respect for his charisma, wit, and “seasoning”—invited “to the cookout.” Offensively, he energized the team, sparking their late-season surge.
  • [16:15] Justin Reid: "Yeah, he's absolutely 100% invited to the cookout...he's a cool dude...he's fearless when he throws the ball...the offense just had a little bit more energy and juice behind it..."

Championship Culture with the Chiefs

[16:45–18:38]

• Team-First Mentality & Consistency: Winning with the Chiefs was about selflessness—"nobody cared who got the credit." Reid credits their success to high standards, consistency, and total buy-in.

  • [16:56] Justin Reid: "The thing that made the Chief special is nobody cared who got the credit...if we're all buying into what it takes to win, that's when you have a good team."

• The Taylor Swift Effect:

  • On welcoming a new "demographic" to football due to the Taylor Swift–Travis Kelce phenomenon—“how many girls were now watching football”—and the ability of football to bridge generations.
  • [18:09] Justin Reid: "You introduced an entirely different demographic...Regardless of the reason, they're still watching football..."

Fatherhood and Advice for New Dads

[18:38–19:22]

• Sleep Training Caution:
  • Justin candidly explains the hardest part was sleep, humorously urging host Drew (soon to be a girl dad) to have a plan.
  • [18:44] Justin Reid: "I thought that I didn't need a sleep trainer and I paid the price for that. My daughter didn't sleep through the night until 10 months... just have a plan for that. And then, man, honestly, just enjoy it, bro..."

Winning the Super Bowl—Feels Even Better the Second Time

[19:23–20:18]

• Joy in Experience and Expectation:
  • The thrill amplified with each Super Bowl; the first is surreal, the second more immediately joyful due to anticipation.
  • [19:40] Justin Reid: "...the first time you don't know what to expect...the second one, as soon as the clock hit zero, you immediately had that rush of feeling. You're back on top of the mountain. It's incredible."

Andy Reid’s Uniqueness as a Leader

[20:18–21:10]

• "Grandfather" Figure:
  • Universally beloved for his wisdom, high standards, and ability to let players express themselves.
  • [20:26] Justin Reid: "He's like your old wise grandfather that you hate to disappoint...He allows guys to show their personality...When we're on the field, it's time to work. But when we're off the field, let your personality show and have some fun."

The NFL’s Secret Chess Masters

[21:10–23:37]

• Back-to-Back Blitz Chess Champion:

  • Justin is a two-time NFL Blitz Chess champion, learning out of competitiveness and furthering his skills with a grandmaster coach. Brought the tradition to the locker room, making chess a Saturday staple among the Chiefs.
  • [21:18] Justin Reed: "Back to back. Yeah. I was winning Super Bowls and chess competitions. You know what I mean? Back to back."
  • [21:44] Justin Reed: "Yeah, it was. It was a tradition. Every Saturday...We just round robin on the board. Chess games."

• Learning Curve, Teammates, and Trash Talk:

  • His chess journey began trying to bond with a teammate in Houston. Bests the rest of the NFL, but admits there’s always an old-timer in the park who’s a formidable foe.

New Orleans, Homecoming, and the Importance of Football

[23:37–25:47]

• Football as a Social Pulse:

  • Describes New Orleans and Louisiana’s emotional investment in their teams—"God and football." Claims the city’s mood literally rises or falls with the Saints’ and LSU’s results—even hinting at lower crime rates when they win.
  • [23:50] Justin Reed: "It's God and football...If LSU and the Saints both lose, it's a doom and gloom day in the state of Louisiana...literally, the crime rate goes down."

• Managing Family and Fans:

  • Now able to provide for his large extended family, Justin relishes bringing family into the suite on game days.

• Favorite Local Eats:

  • Recommends Doris Metropolitan for its Cajun-New Orleans steakhouse flavor, and never skips King Cake season.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Tyler Shuck’s impact:
  • [16:19] Justin Reed: "Stamped, Stamped. Certified stamped...he's a cool dude and...he's fearless when he throws the ball, he makes the running plays when he needs to."
• On the Chiefs’ culture:
  • [16:56] Justin Reed: "The thing that made the Chiefs special is nobody cared who got the credit...it was about...did we win or did we lose?"
• On the Taylor Swift NFL wave:
  • [18:17] Justin Reed: "I have a daughter now. Like, how many girls were now watching football?... that's just the coolest thing."
• On Super Bowl joy (second vs. first):
  • [19:29] Justin Reed: "Even better the second time...the first time you don't know what to expect...the second one, as soon as the clock hit zero, you immediately had that rush of feeling."
• On Andy Reid as a coach:
  • [20:26] Justin Reed: "He's like your grandfather...he allows guys to show their personality. He doesn't hold you back from that."
• On chess in the NFL locker room:
  • [21:44] Justin Reed: "It was a tradition. Every Saturday...We just round robin on the board. Chess games."
• On Louisiana’s football obsession:
  • [23:50] Justin Reed: "It's God and football...if LSU and the Saints both lose, it's a doom and gloom day in the state of Louisiana."

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• NFL Draft expectations, missing out on Pittsburgh, top pick skipping draft: [02:42–06:46]
• Debate on the spectacle, TV coverage, awkward ‘green room’ moments: [06:47–09:54]
• Transition to Justin Reid interview: [10:31]
• Justin Reid on joining Saints and team momentum: [14:26–15:53]
• Tyler Shuck’s personality and impact: [15:53–16:45]
• Comparing Saints/Chiefs cultures, importance of selflessness: [16:45–18:09]
• Taylor Swift/Kelce NFL phenomenon: [18:09–18:38]
• Fatherhood tips: [18:38–19:22]
• Super Bowl experiences: [19:23–20:18]
• Andy Reid’s leadership style: [20:18–21:10]
• Locker room chess tradition: [21:10–23:37]
• Living and playing in rabid fan culture in New Orleans, food and family: [23:37–25:47]

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Episode Tone & Style

Upbeat, informed, and relatable. Drew, Billy, and Matt balance die-hard NFL analysis with humor and personal asides. Justin Reid is candid, good-natured, and thoughtful—sharing locker room insights and life lessons with the conversational ease of a natural storyteller.

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Summary

This episode blends lighthearted NFL Draft banter with a fascinating, personality-filled discussion with Justin Reid. The KSR crew takes listeners inside the culture shifts of pro football, whether in Kansas City’s championship locker room or New Orleans’ community-obsessed stands. With stories of chess supremacy, insights on parenting, and the social impact of football in Louisiana, this episode offers a vibrant behind-the-scenes look for NFL fans and casual listeners alike.

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Transcript

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[Matt Jones]

NFL Cover 0 with Matt Jones and Drew Franklin is a production of the NFL and iHeart podcast.

[Drew Franklin]

Welcome in to a new episode of NFL Cover 0 offseason edition. Although there's never really an offseason in the NFL today, Drew Franklin here with Billy Rutledge bringing you another episode with more from that trip to San Francisco. Got a little bit left from that. Billy. We're not done a few more weeks

[Billy Rutledge]

of it and I've snuck in my Super Bowl T shirt that I've got on today. My draft kings hat. Recognize the hat from the super bowl party. So I'm still very much living in that moment. Drew but excited to share another interview with everybody.

[Matt Jones]

Yeah.

[Drew Franklin]

Good to talk with you again today. Last week we had Eric kendricks from the 49ers became a big star for them as they battled injuries. Today we have our interview with Justin Reed. Played for the Saints. Talked a lot about the emergence of Tyler Schuck. Saint having a decent year but I think what their expectations were going in the year. He was also a chief. Got to hear a little bit about if he thinks he might get invited to important wedding this summer. But he was a fun conversation before that though. Billy, it is kind of busy time in the NFL. Even though there's not sports being played. We're counting down to the draft. There was a moment where we thought we'd be going to the draft. I'm part of the problem with me not be able to go with a baby coming and you and Matt aren't able to make it.

[Justin Reed]

Now.

[Drew Franklin]

Does it bum you out that you won't be making the trip to Pittsburgh?

[Billy Rutledge]

It does. One of the coolest experiences I had was Nashville for the draft. That was just sea of people. A fun multi day event and that, you know, they've taken it to different cities since. Right. So it's really become an event. So was looking forward to Pittsburgh and the.

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[Billy Rutledge]

The what? The pickle stuff that you got into last Picklesburg, Pittsburgh. So you know, there's a lot of cool stuff that I was looking forward to. I have a wedding shower that weekend. So it doesn't really work for me either.

[Drew Franklin]

Drew, you're all this family stuff.

[Billy Rutledge]

Yeah. You're expecting a much more important thing. So we're. We're rooting for you and wishing you nothing but the best coming up here.

[Drew Franklin]

Well, weddings a big deal too. I'm glad you all are having that. That'll be a fun time. But we won't be in Pittsburgh. But there's still a lot to talk about. Including another person that's not going to Pittsburgh.

[Billy Rutledge]

Who's that?

[Drew Franklin]

What's up with your boy? Fernando Mendoza is not going to go. I mean locked in is the number one pick. Looks like he's going to have his own private family party elsewhere. Probably Back in Miami. But you know, it's a big deal when you're in that first round, especially pick one to go up on stage and shake the commission's hand. Get the little. Get the little side hug with Goodell and it's looking like he might sit it out as well.

[Billy Rutledge]

Yeah, I'm a little disappointed, honestly. I'd like the number one overall pick, be there and shake the hand of Goodell and do the pictures and everything. That's just not his style though, I guess Drew, I mean, he's going to be a little bit more under the radar, less pop and circumstance. You know, it doesn't always work, but at the same time he's trying to do his own thing. I did like the COVID draft though.

[Drew Franklin]

Do you remember the code so much to take away from where it was

[Billy Rutledge]

like, you know, you had CD Lamb stealing his phone back from his girlfriend. You. I mean you had the moment the Titans draft picks. Mom is shoving the girlfriend off of him to get out of the camera shot. Going into the home kind of gives you even more storylines a lot of times, but so maybe we get something there from Mendoza was that the year

[Drew Franklin]

was a Joe Burrow Covid year with his like his parents curtains, they were getting roasted. You got to see everybody's houses. Yeah. You know, all of us went through that. You get on Zoom and co workers and like, oh, that's where you live. But it was weird to see it for NFL stars that were used to seeing in the green room and on the stage.

[Billy Rutledge]

Some people want to get a little bit more camera attention than maybe they deserve. But that is maybe a wrinkle we'll get with Mendoza here. But man, is he going one overall. Is that kind of been consensus?

[Drew Franklin]

Seems to be the case. You know, he's got. If he goes to the. To the Raiders got some competition now. Kurt Cousins, the best agent in sports, just keeps getting Kirk Cousins paid. But it looks like that's going to be the plan. To have a veteran rookie situation with those two have similar personalities kind of

[Billy Rutledge]

seems like, yeah, well, throw out the window like if he deserves that money, I think this is good for Mendoza. If he goes 1 overall, like just this. The expectation of these rookie quarterbacks to come in and be the starter and take a team to the playoffs is. Is unrealistic. A lot of times you see a lot of the greats that had a year behind another. Right. So I mean, I think of Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers as two that weren't thrust into that limelight immediately. So It's. It doesn't always work right, so. But this sets him up for success and hopefully Kirk can, you know, teach him a couple tricks to how to stay healthy in the league, because that's maybe the most important thing.

[Karissa Thompson]

Yep.

[Drew Franklin]

My Titans at 4, they're considering Jeremiah Love from Notre Dame.

[Billy Rutledge]

Don't do it.

[Drew Franklin]

I know. I mean, I love Jeremiah Love. My wife's Notre Dame fan. Watch him a lot. Made a lot of money betting on him on some touchdowns, scoring throughout his Notre Dame career. But a running back at top five, it's not like the guaranteed money. He would be like, paid more than Saquon. He'd like, be the highest paid running back having never taken a snap. I mean, as much as I'd love to have that guy on our team at top five running back, I don't know about that one now.

[Billy Rutledge]

I didn't realize he'd be paid more than Saquon.

[Drew Franklin]

That's kind of like a game. It wasn't the overall contract, but like his. His guaranteed money would be a lot more than a lot of.

[Justin Reed]

A lot of the names we know.

[Billy Rutledge]

Well, I just, I think you have a pick that high, you've got to go past rusher or lineman. And as a team like the Titans who are just trying to build back, seems like pass rusher would be, you know, jump off the page need for Tennessee here. But you know, GMs overthink it all the time. Right. So we very well could see a running back taken by the Titans.

[Drew Franklin]

Are you someone that sits and watches the draft? Last year, I'll admit I watched maybe every minute, including when I went to mow my yard. I had YouTube TV playing. I just listened to it within my pocket instead of music.

[Billy Rutledge]

Even like rounds two through seven.

[Drew Franklin]

Normally, I'll admit in years past, normally I just lock into the two primetime nights, but it was like Saturday afternoon at 4 and I'm like, people I don't even know are getting taken off the board. Part of it. Shador had dropped and a couple Kentucky guys I was watching. So I had a little reason behind it. But I was locked in last year and I love watching it. Certainly the first and second rounds.

[Billy Rutledge]

No, I am definitely locked in for the first round. I watched the entire thing 30 minutes beforehand and even maybe some analysis afterwards. After that. I'm okay with seeing like where guys went online. Like, I'm. I don't have to be completely locked in. But like, like you said, like, Shadur falling last year was a huge storyline. You know, the, the NFL Network or whoever's doing draft coverage. They do get into some good stories during that time too. So it's good, you know, good human nature parts in those, in those other days. But the first day, there's nothing like that first day. And the energy of the crowd there.

[Justin Reed]

For sure.

[Drew Franklin]

Of course. I love it. I get why some guys are starting to have their own parties like Shador that year. I mean, he had all kinds of marketing branded things everywhere, all over the house. And you want to be with your family, but I love watching them all in the green room. Max Harrison from Kentucky became a star with his role back there. Just bouncing around and congratulating all the guys picked before him. It's just, it's part of it. And I hope we don't get too far away where they're all at home.

[Billy Rutledge]

Well, and some want to avoid being in that green room for too long, of course. Right. I mean, Will Levis was our guy from Kentucky and you know, his girlfriend became famous by the end of the night. How much they showed them in the green room.

[Drew Franklin]

So that was so hard to watch.

[Billy Rutledge]

Oh, it was brutal because his family's all around him. Right. And you know, that happens, you know, quite more often than we think. I was a geno. Smith didn't get picked to the second round back in the day and he had to go through all that. So, you know, maybe Mendoza is trying to avoid that, but he's going one Drew so that that's not even an issue there. So maybe that's part of the thinking.

[Drew Franklin]

It is bad when it's like one person in their, their vacuuming around him. I think Lamar was one of those fell, really?

[Billy Rutledge]

Ravens traded back up to 32 to pick him. So yeah, he got saved by, by the bell.

[Drew Franklin]

You see him, they're like taking stuff down and putting the food away. I'm like, can you all just leave it staged until this one person gets picked? It gets awkward, but it's always fun to watch the draft. I hate that we're not able to go. Maybe next year, but it is a fun time of the year for NFL fans. And our guest on the show Today, he was third round pick, 2018 out of Stanford. Justin Reed, a two time Super bowl champion, as you'll learn in this interview, was with the Saints last year. We had a great time talking to him. And it is up next in our series of our NFL cover zero interviews from the Super Bowl.

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[Matt Jones]

All right here with Justin Reed of the New Orleans Saints. Played for the Texans, played for the Chiefs. Swagged out in a Louis Vuitton jacket with a turtleneck. You know, I had, my grandmother once told me it takes a special man to wear a turtleneck. I never really felt like I was that guy. But you, I think, are able to do it.

[Justin Reed]

You just have, you know, just, just a pinch of, of fearlessness. You know what I mean? Just a pinch of fearlessness. You just gotta go for it.

[Matt Jones]

You just, you need a little, you need a glass of wine, maybe a pipe.

[Justin Reed]

Yeah, exactly. Yeah, one of those old school ones.

[Matt Jones]

An old school pipe. I, I think it would work you commercial. So you've been going around doing these interviews. The Saints had some life at the end of the year, last year. Found some things down the stretch. You feel like you're on an upward swing going into next season.

[Justin Reed]

Yeah, absolutely. There's so much momentum going into the next season. And when I first signed with the Saints, there's a couple of reasons that I did it. One was it's full circle moment for me to come back and play for the team that I grew up watching. But you knew that there was going to be some.

[Matt Jones]

Are you from New Orleans?

[Justin Reed]

I'm from Baton Rouge.

[Matt Jones]

Okay, gotcha.

[Justin Reed]

Yeah. But you knew there was going to be some growing pains coming back and signing with the team. And I honestly expected it to take longer than it did for things to start to turn around just because, you know, it takes a while for things to develop and chemistry to build a new culture, be built, new coaching staff, a bunch of new young players. But then Tyler just comes in and grabs the reins and then this kid is just a stud.

[Matt Jones]

So what is it about him? You know, we're Kentucky fans.

[Justin Reed]

Have you, have you hung out with them?

[Matt Jones]

No, he went to Louisville. I booed him multiple times since they are arrival.

[Justin Reed]

Yeah. But if you ever sit in a room with them, he's just like a really good, charismatic kid, man. There's something about him. To where he's got just enough seasoning to him to where he's like, he's funny, witty.

[Matt Jones]

Wait a minute. Is he invited the cookout?

[Justin Reed]

Yeah, he's absolutely 100% invited to the cookout.

[Matt Jones]

Is he? So he has some season stamped.

[Justin Reed]

Stamped, Stamped. Certified stamped.

[Matt Jones]

Okay.

[Justin Reed]

Yeah. But he, he, he's a cool dude and you know, he, he's fearless when he throws the ball, he makes the running plays when he needs to. And the offense just had a little bit more. More energy and juice behind it whenever he was on the field. So that created some momentum. Ended the season winning like what, five of the last six? Something like that. And we just got to ride that momentum going into this coming year.

[Drew Franklin]

Still got a ways to go with the Saints to get there, but with the Chiefs, that was a winning culture, a championship culture. What's that experience like being here, being a part of this? I know you're here talking to us now, but you, you've lived this already.

[Justin Reed]

Yeah, I mean, it was, I mean, I mean, what an incredible three years. I mean, three in a row is absolute insanity. But it was fun playing for that organization just because of the consistency. The culture was set, the expectations. Excuse me. The expectations were high. The standards were even higher. And it's just about going in and executing like it was a selfless team. The thing that made the Chief special is nobody cared who got the credit. Like, we didn't care who got stats. Nobody cared who had the most touchdowns. It was about, hey, did we win or did we lose? And at the end of the day, if we're all buying into what it takes to win, that's when you have a good team. And that's what the two teams that are playing right now both equally have. And you know you're going to need that to show up.

[Matt Jones]

Are you going to get invited to the wedding? Travis and Taylor? Taylor.

[Justin Reed]

I hope so.

[Matt Jones]

I mean that.

[Justin Reed]

So that'd be. That'd be a fun wedding.

[Matt Jones]

I mean, you get that. You get that inside.

[Justin Reed]

You tell forever.

[Matt Jones]

I mean, I feel like I did

[Justin Reed]

go to Simone Biles wedding. I went to Simone Biles and Jonathan Owens wedding. Is A good friend of mine. So that would be a fun one.

[Matt Jones]

Wait, I mean, you were there when the whole Taylor phenomenon started. Could you feel, I mean, that you all already had a ton of attention because of your success and Patrick Mahomes, etc, but that was another whole level. I mean, there were.

[Justin Reed]

You introduced an entirely different demographic. Professional football. I mean, I thought it was awesome. Maybe people got sick of the commercials. I'm on the field, I didn't see any of them. You know what I mean? But just seeing how many people poured into. I have a daughter now. Like, how many girls were now watching football? You know, regardless of the reason, they're still watching football, getting the load a little bit. I know a bunch of dads out there is like, I'm watching a football game with my daughter now. She wants to watch Taylor Swift, but hey, she's interested into the game. That's just the coolest thing.

[Drew Franklin]

I have my first girl coming in two months. We're counting down. You got any tips for a future girl dad here? I mean, the moment's approaching.

[Justin Reed]

Yeah. You know what? I thought that I didn't need a sleep trainer and I paid the price for that. My daughter didn't sleep through the night until 10 months. Okay, so for me. Yeah, so have a plan for that. We used to just take shifts and I'm an early bird, so I take the early morning shift and my partner would take the late night shift. But just have a plan for that. And then, man, honestly, just enjoy it, bro. Because it's cliche, but it just goes by so quick, man. Like, you don't even recognize how fast they grow up and get big until you look at an old picture or somebody else has a baby and you have them next to each other and it's like, wow, where the time go.

[Billy Rutledge]

All right.

[Drew Franklin]

Appreciate that.

[Billy Rutledge]

So winning multiple Super Bowls, I mean, was it as good the second time as it was the first?

[Justin Reed]

Even better the second time.

[Billy Rutledge]

Even better the second.

[Justin Reed]

Even better the second time. I feel like every time things better the second time you do it, like, in order of what's the best times to ever do it. Second time is the best. First time is the second best interest.

[Matt Jones]

Why is that?

[Justin Reed]

Because, like, the first time you don't know what to expect. And like, that newness is also exciting and that it's a new experience. You don't know, like, what's going to happen next. You kind of like, eyes wide open. Okay, like, what do I do next? Where do I go? How does this go? But then once you Experience that the first time and you know what it feels like. And you're just itching to get back to that feeling because now you're expecting, like, I know what it feels like whenever that clock hits zero and you're now another champion. Like, the first time, it took like a week for it to really hit. Like, you know, you celebrated, but it took a week before you were like, oh, yeah, I'm a champion. The second one, as soon as the clock hit zero, you immediately had that Russia feeling. You're back on top of the mountain. It's incredible.

[Matt Jones]

It seems like Andy Reid is one of the few people in sports universally believe loved. Why is that the case? What makes him so great?

[Justin Reed]

He's like your grandfather, man. He's like your. Your. Your old wise grandfather that you. You hate to disappoint. Like, he. When he looks at you and. And he has a face of, like, disappointment. No, it, like, it crushes you on. Like, it legit crushes. You're like, bro, like, please yell at me or something. Like, please cuss me out. Something like, don't be like, but he'll be a d. Disappointed to you. It's just the worst thing ever. And he has very high standards. He runs a type ship, but guys just want to. Want to play hard for him, man. Like, guys know. Guys know what it takes to win. He knows what it takes to win. He allows guys to show their personality. He doesn't hold you back from that. And he's like, have fun. When we're on the field, it's time to work. But when we're off the field, let your personality show and have some fun.

[Matt Jones]

I learned a fun fact. You're the champion. You beat what, Kyler Murray, I think, in the finals. Am I right?

[Justin Reed]

Yeah, yeah, I'm the back to back champion, actually.

[Matt Jones]

Oh, you've gone back to back.

[Justin Reed]

Back to back. Yeah. I was winning Super Bowls and chess competitions. You know what I mean? Back to back. But that's a cool thing, the NFL. I think we're in Blitz Champs four. So it was the fourth year of them doing it. My teammate Drew Tranquil actually introduced it to me. He won Blitz champs, too. And we used to play in the locker room. Like, I had a chessboard in my locker and guys would just come up. We play games in the locker room, and he invited me to do his competition and.

[Matt Jones]

Wait a minute, hang on. You all had a chessboard in the Chiefs locker?

[Justin Reed]

Yeah, it was. It was a tradition. Every Saturday. Every Saturday between when practice ended and before we Got on the buses. We just round robin on the board. Chess games.

[Matt Jones]

It's like speed chess.

[Justin Reed]

Yeah. We had like three minute games.

[Matt Jones]

Wow.

[Drew Franklin]

Incredible stuff.

[Matt Jones]

I had no idea. And so who was the worst?

[Justin Reed]

Who was the worst? Let's see.

[Billy Rutledge]

Probably.

[Justin Reed]

Probably McColl hit Harmon.

[Matt Jones]

Oh, okay.

[Justin Reed]

Yeah. And I know he's. I know he's gonna hate me saying that. He's. He's gonna get on Twitter right now

[Matt Jones]

and say he wasn't the worst because

[Justin Reed]

he beat me one time. He beat me one time. He's gonna grill me on that.

[Matt Jones]

So how did you get into chess? I mean, that takes a certain kind of mind to think about the world like that.

[Justin Reed]

Yeah. So two parts. The first part is I had a teammate, Philip Gaines, when I played for the Houston Texans. We used to call him Grandmaster Phil because he would be in his locker playing the chess app on his phone, like, just all the time. Right. So I wanted. I wanted to, like, relate to my teammates. So I tried to play him. He killed me. Oh, my God, he put me in such a blender. You know what I mean? And after that, I'm competitive, so I wanted to learn. So that was the same time the Queen's Gambit came out on Netflix. This is like the same time period. So I was like, okay, they played the Sicilian defense in that movie. So I learned the Sicilian defense, and that's what I still play today. And then I hired a grandmaster to also be a coach for me just to make sure.

[Matt Jones]

Wait a minute. You hired a grandmaster to teach you?

[Justin Reed]

Yeah. Hell, yeah. Yeah. James Canty. Shout out to you, GM Canti.

[Matt Jones]

Shout out to James Canty. Wow, that is. Now, that is a very unique story. So, like, you say you're not. You're obviously the best in the NFL. Do you ever, like, walk down, you know, New York City and Manhattan and just play those old guys sitting in

[Justin Reed]

the park on Bourbon street street in New Orleans? There's a guy sitting on the corner. Oh, there is. There's a guy sitting on the corner with a chessboard out.

[Matt Jones]

Have you ever challenged him?

[Justin Reed]

Yeah, I've walked by him twice. I was. I was on the move, but I talked to him on the way. I was like, hey, I'm going to come back and play you, bro. I'm going come back and play you.

[Matt Jones]

Well, let me ask you about New Orleans playing in that city, because I think a lot of people not in New Orleans don't realize just how rabid that fan base can be and what an important. What an important role that team has To. To that state.

[Justin Reed]

No, it's serious. It's serious. It's God and football. Like, seriously, like the football team has a visceral impact on the entire life of the city, the entire life of the state, actually. Like, if LSU and the Saints both lose, it's a doom and gloom day in the state of Louisiana, you know what I mean? Both teams are winning, people are happier, the sun's shining a little bit brighter. People are more. More friendly, you know what I mean? Literally, the crime rate goes down, you know what I mean? Literally. Literally. It is a fact, you know what I mean? So, like, so somebody should just run

[Matt Jones]

for office and go, I'm gonna make the Saints in LSU win and everything will be.

[Justin Reed]

You would win some votes. I guarantee you'll win some votes.

[Drew Franklin]

Yeah. A lot more people asking for tickets now that you're back home. I know you're excited to see them, but it's a little harder on game day distributing out.

[Justin Reed]

Yeah. You know, but I'm at a place in my life to where I kind of welcome it, you know what I mean? Like, if I was a young player, I still am a young guy, but if I was a, like wet behind the years rookie or something, it might have been more of a distraction. But I got a suite for my family. I have about 20, 30 come to all the home games and I like, have my immediate family and then I'll rotate external family. So everybody gets an experience.

[Matt Jones]

You know, one time I accidentally ended up in the suite for the SEC tournament in New Orleans. The. The no Limit suite at the Superdome. Different experience there. But you know what? It was a good time.

[Justin Reed]

Yeah. I mean, New Orleans has so much personality, man. Like the, the people, the fans. I mean, it's colorful, it's funny. They'll let you know how you feel. They'll let you know how they feel.

[Matt Jones]

You like Cajun food?

[Justin Reed]

Absolutely. What's your favorite shout out doors? Metropolitan. Doris. Metropolitan is a. Is a Cajun. It's a. It's a steakhouse house with New Orleans flavor, a twist to it with the seafood and the seasonings that they use. It's one of my favorites to go to. And then of course, this is a technically occasion, but King Cake season, that's

[Drew Franklin]

right around the corner.

[Justin Reed]

I've been there getting some King Cake. I love it.

[Matt Jones]

Well, I look forward to. You need to take Tyler Schuck there and his seasoning to the steakhouse. And thank you very much for your time.

[Justin Reed]

Just appreciate you guys.

[Matt Jones]

Appreciate it.

[Karissa Thompson]

Hey, it's Karissa. Thompson Everything these days is fighting for your attention. Work, family, social media. And it makes it tough to figure out what should really come first. But here's something that absolutely deserves to be at the top of your list. Your breast health. Breast cancer is the second most common cancer and the second leading cause of cancer death among women in the United States. And the rates are still rising. More women women under 50 are being diagnosed too. But here's a stat that really hits home. One in two women who qualify for annual breast screenings aren't getting them. That's half. And yet, when breast cancer is caught early, the survival rate is over 99%, nearly 100% for stage one before it spreads. If you're 40 or older, you should be getting screened every year. And if you're under 40, it is never too early to understand your risk. So come on now, pay the girls some Attention. Head to YourAttentionPlease.com to learn your breast cancer cancer risk and what screenings you might need. Trust me, your future self will thank you. Brought to you by Novartis.

[Toyota Advertiser]

You know how it's never really about where you're going, it's about who you're going with. Like destination could be totally average, but if the right people are there, it becomes a great memory. Toyota really gets that. Toyota designs vehicles around real life and real people, the ones who bring everyone together and somehow make the drive part of the fun. There's room for all the stuff that comes with togetherness luggage, golf clubs, camping gear, plus comfortable seating, smart layouts and space that lets everyone relax. And Toyota's lineup makes it easy to find your match. The RAV4 is perfect for everyday adventures. The Grand Highlander brings serious space for up to eight with generous legroom and expansive cargo space. The Highlander also has space for up to eight. It's ready for big moments and spontaneous ones ones balancing style and flexibility. And the Sienna is built for everyday life. Carpools, road trips, snacks, spills and it even has a built in vacuum for when things get a little too messy. Because when people are the destination, your ride is important. Learn [e-mail] and find the vehicle that fits your people.

[Lowe's Advertiser]

Lowes knows Sundays are for football, so tackle your home improvement projects by Saturday and earn your Sunday with great deals on LG and Bosch appliances, select Bounty and Swiffer cleaning products and more. Then once your to do list is done, get ready to kick back, relax and enjoy the game. Shop in store or online now and earn your sundae with help from Lowe's official partner of the NFL

[Tremphya Advertiser]

for adults with Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis symptoms, every choice matters. Tremphya offers self injection or intravenous infusion from the start. Tremphya is administered as injections under the skin or infusions through a vein every four weeks, followed by injections under the skin every four or eight weeks. If your doctor decides that you can self inject Tremphya, proper training is required. Tremphya is a prescription medicine used to treat adults with moderately to severely active Crohn's disease and adults with moderately to severely active ulcerative colitis. Serious allergic reactions and increased risk of infections and liver problems may occur. Before treatment, your doctor should check you for infections and tuberculosis. Tell your doctor if you have an infection, flu like symptoms or if you need a vaccine. Explore what's possible. Ask your doctor about tremphya today. Call 1-800-526-7737 to learn more or visit trempharadio.com.

[Drew Franklin]

All right, that was our interview with Justin Reed. Another fun one. We have one more left coming up for you all. I have to admit the next one, Orlando Brown Jr. From the Bengals might have been my favorite. We talked football, but we talked a lot of not football things which I like to do and especially just what it's like being Burrows lineman behind the scenes.

[Billy Rutledge]

Well, you love the Fossil talk too. Fossil, you go with Orlando Brown Jr. Which we'll play next week. But you know, Justin Reed talks about playing chess and then Orlando Brown Jr. He got into like the piano playing he's doing. So I mean that's Cover zero, right? Talking about everything but Skyline Chili.

[Drew Franklin]

Also, he goes from Burrow Mr. Cool to Joe Flacco just shows up in the building in mid season. So really fun one coming up. I've been looking forward to this one the most. It'll be next week. Orlando Brown Jr. But thanks for listening to this one today with Justin Reed and all the ones before this. We have a fun time doing this. We appreciate all of you listening to Cover Zero. This is Drew and Billy signing off. Until next week,

[Matt Jones]

NFL Cover 0 with Matt Jones and Drew Franklin is a production of the NFL and iHeart Podcast. For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcast.

[Erin Andrews]

Hey guys, it's Erin Andrews. Everything these days is fighting for your attention. We've got work, family, social media, making it tough to figure out what to prioritize. I got something that should always be at the very top of the list your breast health. In fact, if you're 40 and over, you should be getting screened once a year. And if you're under 40, it's never too soon to visit YourAttentionPlease.com to learn about breast cancer risks. Come on now, pay the girls some attention and take the time to find out your breast cancer [e-mail] Trust me, your future self will thank you.

[Toyota Advertiser]

You know how it's never really about where you're going, it's about who you're going with. The right people can turn any drive into a great memory. That's something Toyota really believes. They design vehicles around real life and real people. The ones who make plans happen and bring everyone together inside. Everything's built with passengers in mind. Comfortable seating, smart layouts and space that actually works so everyone can relax and enjoy the ride. There's room for the people, room for the stuff, and room for the moments that happen along the way. Because when people are the destination, your ride is important. Learn [e-mail] and find the vehicle that fits your people.

[Justin Reed]

If you work in university maintenance, Grainger considers you an MVP because your playbook ensures your arena is always ready for tip off. And Grainger is your trusted partner, offering

[Drew Franklin]

the products you need all in one place, from H Vac and plumbing supplies

[Justin Reed]

to lighting and more. And all delivered with plenty of time left on the clock so your team always gets the win.

[Drew Franklin]

Call 1-800-GRAINGER visit grainger.com or just stop by Grainger for the ones who get it done.

[Justin Reed]

Life is full of choices, but the choice between getting crispy chicken nuggets or a crunchwrap slider isn't one you'll have to make. The new Crispy Chicken crunchwrap slider at Taco Bell all white meat chicken nuggets breaded in tortilla chips, wrapped up sauce and all inside a slider sized crunchwrap. Choose from creamy Chipotle or Jalapeno Honey Mustard. Well, here we go.

[Matt Jones]

Life still full of choices.

[Justin Reed]

The new Crispy Chicken crunchwrap Slider.

[Matt Jones]

A brand new classic only a Taco

[Justin Reed]

Bell and participating in those Taco Bell locations for a limited time and while supplies last.

[Karissa Thompson]

This is an iHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human.