Lions WR Josh Reynolds: ‘I’d love my future to be here with Detroit’

Detroit Lions wide receiver Josh Reynolds has found new life in Detroit. After a somewhat successful four years with the Los Angeles Rams, Reynolds went into 2021 hoping to cash in on free agency. Unfortunately, the market was extremely dry, and he settled for a one-year, prove-it deal with the Tennessee Titans for a $1.75 million deal.

Even worse for Reynolds, he found himself buried on the depth chart after the Titans traded for Julio Jones and drafted Dez Fitzpatrick in the fourth round. Eventually, Reynolds asked to be released after being listed as inactive in four of the Titans’ first nine games.

The Lions, with the first priority on waivers and a huge need at receiver, quickly jumped on the opportunity to give Reynolds the shot he was hoping to get in Tennessee. This week, in a conversation with Lions’ play-by-play announcer Dan Miller, Reynolds explained how he fell into the perfect situation in Detroit.

“I’m blessed to have fell here, because (it’s) a great group of people, great guys,” Reynolds said. “Even with our record right now, you step into this building and going through everything day-by-day with these dudes, you’d never think that we’re a losing team. I take that to heart a lot.”

He has since thrived in Detroit. In the last four games with the Lions, Reynolds has 16 catches, 259 yards, and two touchdowns—the best four-game stretch of his young career. Pairing with Jared Goff, his former quarterback with the Rams, has certainly helped, but Reynolds is thankful for Detroit entrusting him to display all of his skillset.

“Before, I was kinda limited to certain, ‘Alright, you get hitches. You get all the backside stuff.’ So being able to put me frontside, first-read stuff, I think it shows a lot of trust (from) the team that they’ve been giving me,” Reynolds said. “I’ve just got to keep winning.”

Reynolds will have an interesting decision facing him this upcoming offseason. He will be an unrestricted free agent in March. Will he use his showcasing in Detroit to seek a bigger deal and better team? Or will he stay in Detroit, where he’ll likely still have a chance at a significant role and he’ll continue to play in a culture he clearly likes.

Well, if you trust Reynolds at his word at this point in the season, he certainly sounds like he’d be open to staying.

“I would love my future to be here with Detroit,” Reynolds told Miller. “Man, being able to just kind of continue to grow with this team and help this organization win. I mean, it don’t get no better.”