Austin Reed (American football)

Austin Reed (born February 22, 2000) is an American football quarterback for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Southern Illinois Salukis, West Florida Argonauts, and Western Kentucky Hilltoppers.

Early life
Austin Reed grew up in St. Augustine Beach, Florida, and attended St. Augustine High School.

Southern Illinois
Reed began his college football career at Southern Illinois.

West Florida
Reed transferred to West Florida in the Summer of 2019. He led the 2019 West Florida Argonauts football team to the NCAA Division II national championship. During the national championship season he totaled 4,084 passing yards with 40 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.

In July 2021, Reed signed the first Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) sponsorship in West Florida history, striking a deal with the Running Wild chain of running stores.

Western Kentucky
After the 2021 season, he entered the NCAA transfer portal and committed in March 2022 to Western Kentucky. He was selected as the team's starting quarterback during summer camp in August 2022.

In his first game at Western Kentucky, he threw four touchdown passes in a 38–28 victory over Austin Peay. Through games played on November 19, he ranked second in the nation with 3,837 passing yards.

On January 6, 2024, Reed announced that he would enter the 2024 NFL draft.

Professional career
Reed signed as a undrafted free agent with the Chicago Bears after going undrafted in the 2024 NFL draft.