Report: D.J. Reed Plans to Sign 3-Year, $48M Lions Contract After Jets Stint

Following a disastrous 2024 season with the New York Jets, veteran cornerback D.J. Reed is ready for a fresh start.

According to Fox Sports' Jordan Schultz, Reed plans to sign a three-year, $48 million contract with the Detroit Lions on Monday that includes $32 million guaranteed.

After signing a three-year, $33 million deal with the Jets prior to the 2022 season, Reed emerged as one of the top No. 2 cornerbacks in the NFL. He and two-time All-Pro Sauce Gardner created a stingy tandem that helped New York rank in the top five in passing defense in each of the last three seasons, holding opponents to under 200 yards per game through the air each year.

Unfortunately, the Jets failed to capitalize on their impressive defense since Reed's arrival, and things completely fell off the rails in 2024. After going 7-10 in 2022 and 2023, New York finished 5-12 this past season to extend its playoff drought to 14 years. The defense suffered mightily after Robert Saleh was fired early in the season and defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich was promoted to interim head coach.

Reed finished the year with 64 total tackles, 11 passes defended and a sack with no interceptions in 14 games. He admitted with a week left in the regular season that he was already looking ahead to the offseason, saying: "I'm ready to go to free agency, bro. I'm ready to see what's next for me."

Reed will now get the chance to show his skills with the Lions, who went 15-2 last season but ranked 30th in the league in passing defense. He should be a solid addition on the opposite side of cornerback Terrion Arnold as Detroit tries to contend for a Super Bowl title in 2025.