Saints S Justin Reid may miss time with knee injury

By Ross Jackson

METAIRIE, La. – The New Orleans Saints may see a key piece of their defense sidelined for at least the short term.

During Sunday’s loss to the Miami Dolphins, veteran safety Justin Reid left the game with a knee injury. Reid tried to return to the game, but was again taken to the locker room a second time, where he was ruled out for the remainder of the contest.

Injury Update: Justin Reid (Knee) has been ruled OUT for the remainder of today’s game. @Saints https://t.co/cI8rjalDwx

— New Orleans Saints PR (@SaintsPR) November 30, 2025

On Monday, Saints head coach Kellen Moore delivered an update on the safety. “We’ll see how that progresses,” he said. “Obviously, potential for some missed time there, but we’ll let it progress.”

It’s not the most damning update, but not one that instills much hopefulness that the defensive leader will be back on the field next week against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Reid’s name will be one to watch throughout the upcoming injury reports throughout the week.

Reid is currently tied for third on the team alongside rookie safety Jonas Sanker in combined tackles. He secured his first interception as a Saint in Week 12 against the Atlanta Falcons, returning it for his second career pick-six.

Most importantly off the field, he’s been an integral leader for the team. Beyond his position group, Reid’s voice is a respected one that leads the way across the entire roster. If he’s not on the field against the Buccaneers, he’ll still be able to continue that role throughout the practice week and on the sideline, but the Saints will have to turn elsewhere for on-field contributions. 

After Reid was taken off the field against the Dolphins, veteran safeties Jordan Howden and Terrell Burgess both split the responsibilities of filling in at the position. Howden took 40 snaps on Sunday while Burgess saw 42. Sanker was also spelled when periodically appearing in 77% of defensive snaps.

The loss of Reid, should he indeed miss time, will be a tough pill to swallow. But New Orleans has seen its safety depth step up already this season. It may be time for Howden and Burgess to continue the trend.