The Detroit Lions are, technically, still in the running for a postseason spot. The Green Bay Packers would have to win out, the Lions would have to win out and beat the Chicago Bears in Week 18, and then maybe, they'd clinch a spot. Unfortunately for them, losing two games to the Packers seems to have sealed the deal for the team.
With this elimination, or close to it, comes some ire from fans. And, defensive lineman D.J. Reader was caught in the crossfire of that ire on social media following the Lions' disappointing loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Reader responded to a fan's unnecessary call-out in relation to his nomination for the Walter Payton Man of the Year award, and things devolved from there.
Yeah DJ Reader is definitely gone next season⦠pic.twitter.com/EFfQ6bUegE
β ππ₯π’ ππ’π±π―π¬π¦π± ππ¦πͺπ’π° π° (@the_det_times) December 22, 2025
Reader is a free agent next season, which opens the door for him to walk after a disappointing season with the Lions. He'll be 32 headed into his 2026 campaign, which might not make him a lucrative defender to throw a huge bag at, to say the least. Regardless, it does seem like the Lions might not be atop his priority list of teams to woo ahead of his free agency, and that's fair.
Reader seems ready for a change of scenery after the 2025 season
Reader has not had a good year with the Lions, having only 11 solo tackles and zero sacks on the season. The former star defender for the Cincinnati Bengals has dealt with a very slow season, thanks to an overall weakened defensive line helmed by the Lions this year.
The run defense from the Lions has been abysmal as of late, something Detroit was surely hoping to see be fixed with Reader healthy and alongside Tyleik Williams, Aidan Hutchinson, and Al-Quadin Muhammad. A lack of consistency has brought down Reader and just about every other defender on the line for the Lions.
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Detroit has a ton of work to do on their trenches, and Reader might not play a part in that if he's not willing to take what's likely to be quite a low offer from the Lions for 2026. They still need to extend several key players, and they've got Hutchinson's newest extension on the books soon.
Reader could earn far more than whatever the Lions can pay him next year, which might not be a lot, but it'd be more than enough to make him look the other way.