Veteran cornerback D.J. Reed was the Detroit Lions' top offseason acquisition, signing a three-year, $48 million deal. He got off to a strong start in Detroit, but that only lasted for four games as he was carted off the field in the fourth quarter of the Lions' Week 4 win over the Cleveland Browns.
Suffering a hamstring strain, Reed was placed on the injured reserve list and missed the last three games before the bye week. He has one more week before he can return to practice, making him potentially available for Week 10. The 28-year-old CB, however, poured cold water on that possibility in his remarks on Thursday.
The Athletic's Colton Pouncy reported after catching up with Reed that even though he is eligible to come off IR next week, "later in November is more likely" for his return. He added that the star defender is "trending in the right direction".
Lions News: DJ Reed Pours Cold Water on Potential Week 10 Return
While he is not able to return to practice, Reed was spotted at practice working with trainers, confirming that he is on his way to recovery. Once the Lions open Reed's practice window, they have 21 days before he counts towards the 53-man roster. During that window, the team needs to activate Reed in order for him to suit up in a game. Otherwise, he won't play this season.
Considering that Reed thought he had "torn a hamstring off the bone" and that his injury could be a season-ender when he first suffered it, this is obviously a positive development. At the same time, since the injury didn't require surgery and Reed has been seen without a boot or a brace, some Lions fans were hoping that he would return to action sooner rather than later, especially with how short-handed Detroit has been on the secondary.
The Lions are hoping to get Terrion Arnold, Avonte Maddox, and Kerby Joseph back on Sunday after they all missed the Tampa Bay Buccaneers win. Detroit was able to find unlikely contributors on the defensive backfield in the impressive performance in Week 7, but the team desperately needs to have its full complement of starters back before they take on the Minnesota Vikings, Washington Commanders, and Philadelphia Eagles in their next three games.
Reed sounds like he is more likely to be ready for either the Week 12 matchup against the New York Giants or the Thanksgiving showdown against the Green Bay Packers. Regardless, let's hope his situation improves soon.