Bengals will have their chance to bring back a former defensive leader fans want to see return
DJ Reader is set to be a free agent again, and the Bengals can make a reunion happen.
Expect additions to be made along the Cincinnati Bengals’ defensive line. Director of player personnel Duke Tobin flat-out admitted he wants to bolster Cincinnati’s pass rush. He believes strengthening the front four can benefit the back seven of the entire defense.
He surely remembers what DJ Reader was able to do for the Bengals in this regard a few years ago.
Reader, who played four years in Cincinnati and was a two-time team captain, has spent the last two years playing for the Detroit Lions and is set to be a free agent in March. His soon-to-be expiring contract has fans in Cincinnati already thinking about a potential reunion between the 31-year old and the club he helped elevate to the playoffs from 2021-22.
The good news is it sounds like the Bengals will have a chance to make that reunion happen if they so desire.
DJ Reader is likely leaving the Lions this offseason
The first step in getting Reader back in Cincinnati is for Detroit to let him test the waters in free agency. That doesn’t appear to be a problem for the Bengals.
A to Z Detroit’s Mike Payton believes the Lions drafting DT Tyleik Williams with the No. 28 pick in last year’s NFL Draft is the biggest reason why re-signing Reader isn’t in the cards for Detroit.
“Reader was a big addition for the Lions ahead of the 2024 season after coming off multiple elite seasons for the Bengals. While he was able to be solid starter for Detroit, he never reached those elite levels that he had in Cincinnati. The Lions drafted Tyleik Williams in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft and he is expected to be way they go next to Alim McNeill in the future. That, and some online strife with Lions fans, is what will likely lead to Detroit moving on from the veteran.” — A to Z Detroit’s Mike Payton
The Lions got what they wanted out of Reader and look ready to move forward with a younger replacement. Cincinnati doesn’t have the same luxury.
Why the Bengals would welcome back Reader
Reader’s departure in 2024 created a massive vacancy along the Bengals’ defensive line. It ultimately forced them to draft McKinnley Jackson in the third round of the 2024 draft. Jackson was seen as a Day 3 prospect according to the consensus, but Cincinnati needed a body to develop at nose tackle, and couldn’t find a veteran to replace Reader at the time.
Jackson has since flashed in the two years he’s been a Bengal, but he’s not a true NT. This is why T.J. Slaton Jr. was signed in free agency last offseason. Slaton filled Reader’s role in terms of snaps, but the quality of play still wasn’t quite what it used to be, nor was it what Reader was able to do for the Lions.
Reader’s production did take a dip in Detroit over the last two years, recording a run stop on 5.9% of run defense snaps compared to his 10.2% figure during his four-year run in Cincy, but there wasn’t a spike in missed tackles or getting blocked out of gaps. He still fulfilled his role as a starter, and it’s fair to project him as such in 2026.
Signing Reader, even for just one year, would give the Bengals a known commodity at the position and allow them flexibility to use Jackson and Slaton in the most opportune alignments and situations. They could also part ways with Slaton altogether as he has just one year left on his deal and can save $6.41 million releasing him. Such cap space can be used to fit Reader in their budget.
It’s all there if Cincinnati wants to make the reunion happen as much as the fans want to see it unfold.
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