Veteran defensive tackle D.J. Reader and the Detroit Lions have agreed to terms on a contract. Reader is an eight-year veteran who spent the last four years with the Cincinnati Bengals.
D.J. Reader, Detroit Lions, Agree to Contract
Reader was initially a fifth-round selection by the Houston Texans out of Clemson in the 2016 NFL Draft. Then a defensive end, Reader amassed 22 tackles, two tackles for loss, and a sack as a rookie. He helped the Texans make the playoffs where he added three tackles, a tackle for loss, a quarterback hit, and a sack in the team’s two games.
In his second season in Houston, Reader started all 14 games he appeared in. In 2017, Reader accounted for 47 tackles, three tackles for loss, a sack, and six quarterback hits. Then, Reader turned in his only full season where he played every game. His 2018 season totaled 33 tackles, five tackles for loss, three quarterback hits, and two sacks.
Statistically, Reader’s best season came in 2019, his final with the Texans. Reader set career bests with 52 tackles, six tackles for loss, 13 quarterback hits, and 2.5 sacks. His play priced him out of the Texans’ plans after the 2019 season and Reader signed a four-year, $53 Million deal with the Bengals which made him the highest-paid nose tackle in the NFL.
Reader’s first season in Cincinnati was not one to remember. In just five games, Reader totaled just 19 tackles, a tackle for loss, and a quarterback hit. His season ended just five games in after he suffered torn quad.
The Bengals’ Super Bowl run was helped by the play of Reader in 2021. In 15 games, the defensive tackle had his best year as a member of the Bengals, amassing 43 tackles, three tackles for loss, seven quarterback hits, and two sacks. In that Super Bowl run, Reader added 12 tackles, three for loss, four quarterback hits, and a sack.
Then, in 2022, Reader missed a chunk of time in the middle of the season due to a knee injury. Despite that, he finished the year with 27 tackles, one tackle for loss, and five quarterback hits.
Finally, Reader’s 2023 season came to an end three weeks early as he suffered yet another torn quad. In total, the eighth-year veteran accounted for 34 tackles, two tackles for loss, seven quarterback hits, and a sack.
Reader has been a premier run-stopper throughout his career and was able to give a notable lift to the Bengals defense when he was on the field. Despite having a reputation for being one of the top defensive tackles in the NFL, Reader has never earned Pro Bowl honors in his career.
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