Josh Reynolds has been a bit of an unsung hero for the Detroit Lions' offense this season, with at least 50 yards in five of eight games thus far. He is third in the NFL in yards per catch (18.0) entering Week 9.
Reynolds popped up on the injury report earlier this season with a groin injury. But he has of course not missed a game. There has been only one game, Week 5's blowout win against the Carolina Panthers (when he was listed as questionable) where he hasn't played at least a 70 percent snap share.
Reynolds entered the Lions' bye week with a lackluster one-catch, 13-yard outing against the Las Vegas Raiders, and he fumbled after the catch to boot. It's a rare thing for him to make a mistake like that, and to otherwise be so invisible in a game.
Extent of Josh Reynolds' injury is now out there
Lions head coach Dan Campbell noted how the bye week is coming at a good time for some players to get healthy.
"This is perfect timing — this is exactly what you want from a bye week," Campbell said Monday. "We've been at it for eight weeks — 13 if you count training camp — so it couldn't have come at a better time. We'll have some reinforcements back by the time we play the Chargers, but everyone is going to get some energy back."
In a bye week piece about Reynolds, Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press (subscription required) revealed the extent of the injury that put the receiver on the injury report a few weeks ago.
''Detroit Lions' Josh Reynolds ranks 3rd in the NFL in yards per catch and has not missed a game despite tearing an adductor muscle off the bone."
Since being on the practice reports heading into Week 5 and being listed as questionable for that game, Reynolds has not even been listed as a limited participant on practice reports. It's very possible, if not likely, the injury has grown worse by playing through it.
But Reynolds has practiced and played as if nothing is amiss, which is an obvious testament to his toughness. And the bye week is certainly coming at a good time for him.
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