The Detroit Lions received some fantastic news on defensive lineman D.J. Reader on Sunday with just two days to go before cutdown day.
The team announced that Reader has passed his physical and was activated off the active/physically unable to perform list. Reader spent the entire offseason working his way back from a torn quadriceps injury suffered in 2023.
With Reader activated, he now has two weeks to practice and get himself ready for Week 1, which falls on Sunday, Sept. 8, against the Los Angeles Rams.
The Lions signed Reader in free agency this offseason, inking him to a two-year, $22 million deal to beef up their defensive line. He'll start alongside 2023 breakout player Alim McNeill and the duo have the potential to be one of the best in the NFL.
#Lions announce DL DJ Reader has passed his physical and is removed from Active/PUP.
— Detroit Lions (@Lions) August 25, 2024
A 2016 fifth-round pick of the Houston Texans, Reader developed into one of the better interior defensive linemen during his time in Houston.
Unfortunately, he ran into injury issues during his four years with the Cincinnati Bengals, suffering a pair of torn quadriceps injuries, one in each leg. He tore his left quad in 2020 before tearing his right quad in 2023.
