Good news for a veteran NFL Tiger, coming off a season-ending injury in 2023.
The Detroit Lions announced that DJ Reader passed his physical and was removed from the PUP (physically unable to perform) list.
The former Clemson defensive lineman was out for the entirety of training camp while rehabbing from the season-ending torn quad tendon he suffered last season as a member of the Cincinnati Bengals.
Although Reader is off the PUP list, and the Lions aren’t ruling out the possibility of a Week 1 return for Reader, Lions head coach Dan Campbell said Monday the team has been planning for a Week 2 return for the 6-foot-3, 335-pound defensive tackle.
“I would love to say we’re targeting (Week 1),” Campbell said, via the Detroit Free Press . “We’re just going to take it as it comes. We’d always said long-term that we were kind of shooting for Tampa, but our eyes are open and we’re going to pay close attention and see how he does, how he feels and kind of go from there, if it’s sooner.”
The Lions begin the 2024 season with a home game vs. the Los Angeles Rams on Sept. 8 before hosting its Week 2 matchup vs. the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Detroit on Sept. 15.
Reader is entering his first season with the Lions after signing a two-year deal with the team worth up to $27.25 million. The 30-year-old spent the last four years (2020-23) with the Bengals following four seasons with the Houston Texans (2016-19) to begin his pro career.
A fifth-round draft pick back in 2016, Reader has established himself as one of the NFL’s top interior defensive linemen. Since entering the league, he has racked up 277 tackles, 23 tackles for loss and 9.5 sacks.
Last season, prior to suffering the torn quad tendon — the same injury he suffered in 2020 — Reader performed well through 14 games, recording 34 tackles, two tackles for loss, a sack, seven quarterback hits, a fumble recovery and a pass breakup.
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