The Detroit Lions made one move at the trade deadline, acquiring wide receiver (and Detroit native) Donovan Peoples-Jones from the Cleveland Browns for a 2025 sixth-round pick. The bye week allowed them to get him in the building, get acquainted a little and show him around the facility at Allen Park.
The Lions are back to normal work this week, so Peoples-Jones got on the field for the first time with his new team Tuesday. As previously announced and seen below, he will wear No. 19.
Lions WR Donovan Peoples-Jones pic.twitter.com/ka4wQgmuXC
— Colton Pouncy (@colton_pouncy) November 7, 2023
On Monday, head coach Dan Campbell outlined the obvious plan for Peoples-Jones.
"We'll get him up to speed with the playbook here, make sure he's good and healthy and just see where he is. Certainly, we acquired him because we think he can help us. But, I also want to make sure he's ready, mentally and physically, he's 100% ready before we do that," Campbell said.
Will Donovan Peoples-Jones suit up for the Lions in Week 10 vs. the Chargers?
The natural follow-up is if Peoples-Jones will play on Sunday against the Los Angeles Chargers. Campbell had the obvious answer to that question as the week got going.
"This week will be big for him. He was out there today (Monday), and tomorrow (Tuesday), we'll see where it's at, just kind of take it day-to-day."
Peoples-Jones has yet to appear on an injury report this season, and at the time of the trade his 439 snaps led the Browns' wide receivers. So health-wise he should be good to go, so it will primarily be a matter of learning the playbook. His production with the Browns so far this year (eight catches for 97 yards) is a far cry from what he did last season (61 receptions for 839 yards). The Lions will try to help him recapture a piece of that 2022 production going forward.
He probably won't play a whole lot of offensive snaps, but it would be a mild surprise if Peoples-Jones does not suit up and make his Lions' debut on Sunday.