5 landing spots for Josh Reynolds with inevitable departure from Detroit Lions
As the first week of free agency has gone on, it was seemed more and more likely. Saturday's news Donovan Peoples-Jones has been re-signed all but confirmed it. Wide receiver Josh Reynolds, who has not been re-signed, will not be back with the Detroit Lions.
That may be a welcome development for some Lions' fans, after his two critical drops in the NFC Championship and perceived (and incorrectly perceived) laissez-fair attitude about his rough day in the biggest game of the season ("sh*t happens, man"). But Reynolds' most recent performance on the field is not enough to diminish his stock.
Reynolds has great rapport with Jared Goff, dating back to their days with the Los Angeles Rams, and his place as a culture fit with the Lions has been show by the litany of nicknames Dan Campbell has for him and the effort to make sure he got a contract incentive in the 2023 regular season finale.
But sometimes, things just come to an end. Reynolds' role in Detroit is in line to be reduced next season if he was going to be back, with the expected full emergence of Jameson Williams and the overall notion wide receiver might be on the radar early in the draft.
Other teams can surely offer Reynolds a bigger role than the Lions can, and maybe he can still get a good multi-year deal as he sits in a group of available free agent wide receivers that lacks certified star power. If the ship had not already sailed on his return to Detroit, it's well out to sea now.
As the second week of NFL free agency beckons, these five teams make sense for Reynolds.