Lions To Sign LB Troy Reeder

Each of Reeder’s first seven seasons in the NFL were played as a member of the Rams. Ahead of his age-32 campaign, though, he will aim to carve out a roster spot in a new setting. Reeder’s playing time fluctuated greatly over the course of his Los Angeles tenure, reaching a defensive snap share as high as 94% in 2024 before dropping to just 7% last season.

The Lions entered the offseason with Jack Campbell representing one of their top extension priorities. A long-term agreement was reached in May, and the All-Pro is now attached to a deal averaging $20.25MM per year. Detroit’s linebacking corps will depend in large part on Campbell well into the future as a result, and Derrick Barnes along with Malcolm Rodriguez are still in place at the position. Barnes has two years remaining on his deal, while Rodriguez is a pending 2027 free agent.

Reeder has played on one-year contracts dating back to 2022. Given the timing of this deal, the former UDFA can of course be expected to be heading to the Motor City on yet another pact of the same length. Reeder played for $1.17MM in 2025. This Lions contract will presumably check in at or near the veteran minimum as well. Detroit entered Monday with nearly $15MM in cap space, so adding Reeder will not hinder the team’s ability to make other roster tweaks over the coming days.

Aside from being limited to six games in 2024, Reeder has been durable over the course of his NFL career. The Delaware product has topped 80 tackles during a season on two occasions while also serving as a regular special teams contributor. A third phase role will likely be Reeder’s path to a roster spot if he is to stick with the Lions through roster cuts later this summer.