The Detroit Lions made a marquee addition, signing dominant defensive tackle DJ Reader to pair alongside emerging edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson Tuesday.
According to a report from Jordan Schultz of Bleacher Report, Reader’s contract is a two-year pact worth up to $27.25 million, underscoring the Lions’ commitment to building sustained success along the line of scrimmage and their belief in Reader’s upside.
A former fifth-round pick of the Houston Texans in the 2016 NFL Draft, Reader became a mainstay and disruptive force along the Cincinnati Bengals‘ defensive line over the past four seasons.
Through his first 105 games, Reader has logged 277 total tackles with 9.5 sacks, 23 tackles for loss, while adding 44 career quarterback hits.
Reader, 29, aims to put a quad injury behind him that ended his 2023 campaign after just 14 games.
“At the beginning, I guess you have those initial thoughts (you might be done) because it’s tough to come back from,” Reader told reporters at season’s end. “Learning how to rehab all the time and always spending your time doing that process is tough. It can get mentally taxing, but I think, in my head, just I feel like I’ve got a lot of good ball left in me. I mean, I feel like this was one of my better years, and I don’t really want to end it that way. I’ve got a lot left in me, so just rehab it and get back.”
That comeback will now be in Detroit, for a roster that barnstormed to the doorstep of the Super Bowl during the 2023 season.