D.J. Reed

Reed has not practiced since injuring his hip in Week 8. The Lions’ secondary remains a patchwork effort against Drake Maye and the Patriots.

Reed was a mid-week addition to the injury report because of his foot issue. He was limited for the final two practices of the week. Reed is likely on the optimistic side of questionable, but we won’t know for sure until the Lions release their inactives 90 minutes before kickoff.

He was a surprise addition to the report on Tuesday. The Lions secondary, already starting a wave of low-level veteran free agents like Rock Ya-Sin, Avonte Maddox, and Chuck Clark, can ill-afford to lose Reed before taking on the Bills on Thursday night.

Reed, a critical part of the Detroit secondary, will suit up for the first time since sustaining a serious hamstring injury in early October and landing on injured reserve. It’s not the best development for Jameis Winston and the Giants pass catchers. The Giants were massively run heavy in Week 11 against the Packers. Lions declared CB Terrion Arnold, RB Craig Reynolds, CB Nick Whiteside, DL Quinton Jefferson, and DL Mekhi Wingo inactive against New York.

Fellow cornerback Terrion Arnold is also expected to miss significant time with a shoulder injury, leaving the team extremely shorthanded on the back end ahead of a Week 6 matchup with the Chiefs. Safety Kerby Joseph has been tending to a knee injury as well.

Reed was carted from the field in Week 4’s victory, and could end up missing at least four games if placed on injured reserve. A key piece of the Lions defense, Reed has already logged 212 defensive snaps through four weeks, per PFF, and has one interception and two pass breakups on his 2025 resumé. We’ll likely get more clarity on Reed’s injury later in the week, but his absence would be a serious loss for the Lions, who continue to battle injuries to their defense.

The Lions found their replacement for Carlton Davis less than an hour after his signing with the Patriots was reported. Per FOX NFL’s Jordan Schultz, Reed’s contract includes $32 million guaranteed. With the Jets looking to get younger and fellow cornerback Sauce Gardner needing an extension, they chose not to re-sign Reed, allowing him to hit the open market. Reed broke up 11 passes and notched two TFLs plus a sack last year despite missing three games. He averaged 11 pass breakups during this three-year stint in New York.

Reed has reliably manned the Jets’ defensive-right side of the field since 2021. But with a potential extension incoming for Sauce Gardner, the team recognizes it must move on from the 28-year-old Reed. Reed is expected to be one of the better free agents on the market this offseason. A new deal for Gardner is not immediately imminent; he has one year remaining on his contract and the Jets hold a fifth-year option. The deal, whenever it arrives, is expected to reset the cornerback market. Hughes notes that the Jets are likely to re-sign slot defensive back Isaiah Oliver after a successful first season in New York. Oliver played under new defensive coordinator Steve Wilks with the 49ers in 2023.