On a day in which the New York Jets learned that Morgan Moses, Haason Reddick, and Javon Kinlaw would walk in free agency, they experienced their biggest loss yet with veteran cornerback DJ Reed agreeing to a three-year, $48 million deal with the Detroit Lions, per multiple reports on Monday.
Of that, $32 million is guaranteed.
Reed gets a fresh start on a legitimate contender after continuing to cement himself as one of the best No. 2 cornerbacks in all of football.
In the span of his three-year, $33 million deal with the Jets, he was one-half of one of the best cornerback tandems in the NFL alongside Sauce Gardner. Gang Green’s passing defense ranked within the league’s top five in each of his three seasons with the team.
In 46 games with the Jets after coming over from the Seattle Seahawks, the 28-year-old amassed 220 combined tackles, two interceptions, two forced fumbles, and 32 pass break-ups. He had 64 total tackles, 11 pass break-ups, and one sack in 14 games in 2024.
His contributions did little to get New York moving in the right direction, though. Following two consecutive 7-10 seasons, the Jets hit their lowest point yet in 2024 with a 5-12 record.
The writing was on the wall regarding Reed’s departure, as he told reporters toward the end of the year that he was “ready to go hat to free agency, bro. I’m ready to see what’s next for me.”
Reed now joins a Lions team — where new Jets head coach Aaron Glenn was their defensive coordinator — that is one of the best in the NFL after going 15-2 last season. Their passing defense, however, is in need of a serious boost after ranking 30th in the league. Reed will certainly help that as he lines up opposite Terrion Arnold.
