The Detroit Lions have several free agents walking free, with many defensive players up for grabs this offseason. Kelvin Sheppard, the defensive coordinator, must be working overtime to secure some of these agents, albeit with a negative $8 million to work with. 

DJ Reader, their defensive lineman, is one of the players hitting free agency. He signed for the Detroit Lions on a two-year, $27.25 deal from the Cincinnati Bengals. His performance for the Lions has been middling, however, with him recording zero sacks and just two stuffs on the year despite starting all 17 games. 

Greg Auman of FOX Sports speculates that Reader could rejoin the Bengals, with whom he has had success in the past. 

"There's talk he could return to Cincinnati, where he played from 2020-23, and the Bengals could use his presence up front after finishing dead last against the run and bottom three in points and yards allowed in 2025. In his prime with the Bengals, he was graded as a top-10 defensive lineman, and he's not that anymore, but could still be a match in the $6 million range."

Greg Auman is not the only one who has linked Reader to the Bengals. Clutchpoints writer Ben Strauss also shares the same view. “Perhaps the Bengals could reunite with a familiar face to round out their defensive line. Reader spent four seasons in Cincinnati after playing his rookie contract in Houston. He was a mainstay on Cincinnati’s defensive line during their Super Bowl run back in 2021,” he wrote.

Holding on to DJ Reader might not be the best move for the Lions either. They can look for alternate options to fill Reader’s gap.

Defensive reinforcements to replace Reader

The Lions already have defensive tackles like Alim McNeil, Mekhi Wingo, and Tyleik Williams on their roster. McNeil is currently in the second year of a four-year, $97 million extension. 

They could also look for other younger players to fill the gap. Rather than looking for a run defender, they could also pursue a defensive lineman who will pressure the quarterback more. Some of the options they can consider are  John Franklin-Myers, Sheldon Rankins, or Sebastian Joseph-Day.

It will be interesting to see the route that Kelvin Sheppard is going to take to shape up his defense ahead of the 2026 season. 

Written by

Shyam Hari

Edited by

Joyita Das