The Detroit Lions are gearing up to be Super Bowl contenders in 2025, keeping most of their roster from last season to try and build on that momentum. They skipped a mandatory minicamp this year but held OTAs from May 28 to June 5 as a final tune-up before training camp. For some players, though, those OTAs might have been their last in Detroit.
One guy likely on his way out after this season is defensive tackle DJ Reader. He’s entering the last year of his two-year, \$22 million contract. Last season, Reader had a solid but not spectacular year with 23 tackles, four tackles for loss, and three sacks. Stats from PFF put him around the middle of the pack among defensive linemen.
Reader will still play a role in 2025, but Detroit already has younger guys ready to take over at DT. Gerald McNeil, who signed a massive four-year, \$97 million extension last October, is coming back from a torn ACL and will be a long-term piece. They also just drafted Tyleik Williams in the first round this year — a run-stopper with great instincts from Ohio State who still needs to work on his pass rush.
Since Reader will be a free agent after next season, and with these younger players stepping up, it’s looking like Detroit probably won’t bring him back.
That’s a Wrap? Lions Veteran Looks Done with Detroit’s OTAs
