The Chiefs got the ball first on Sunday night, drove down the field against the Chargers and kicked a field goal. The kicker was NFL journeyman Matthew Wright, filling in for the injured Harrison Butker and Spencer Shrader.

Wright opened the scoring with a 47-yard field goal, but after the commercial break, Kansas City was scheduled to kick off against Los Angeles and Wright wasn’t out there. Instead, free safety Justin Reid was positioned behind the tee in the kicker position. The defender fired a kick that landed in the end zone, triggering a touchback.

Here’s why Reid kicks for the Chiefs.

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Why is Justin Reid kicking?

Reid has handled kickoffs in the past. It started when he was used as an emergency kicker last year, but he has a strong leg. Reid has taken over when Butker has been injured in the past, but Kansas City didn’t go with him since they had a fully healthy kicker.

Safety Justin Reid on kickoff duty

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Wright is the third kicker the Chiefs have used this season. On some teams the kickers take the kickoffs, on others it is the job of the punter. With Wright, it could simply be because he isn’t particularly good at offense. More likely, Kansas City doesn’t want to expose him to more things that could hurt him.

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Over the summer, the NFL announced its new dynamic kickoff rules. The new changes should encourage returns for more action, but also increase player safety. With Reid in the squad, head coach Andy Reid initially said the defender would be the new kickoff player because he would provide the added benefit of a more competent tackler. Butker could make a tackle, but that’s a risky move for a kicker.

Reid would have a better chance of making a tackle and less risk of injury. In the end, the Chiefs still chose Butker, but after 14 weeks they finally made a move to Reid.

Reid can handle the stationary kickoff while Wright is saved for key field goals that require more precision. The safety has handled a few kickoffs but has yet to make an official field goal attempt in his career.