Josh Reynolds established himself as one of the Lions’ top receivers during the 2023 regular season. Yet, at this point, he won’t be remembered for his productive aforementioned campaign.
Instead, he’ll be remembered for his disappointing performance in Detroit’s NFC Championship Game loss to the 49ers. Reynolds dropped three passes in the contest, including a throw from quarterback Jared Goff on a pivotal fourth-down conversion attempt in the third quarter.
The drop was the beginning of a series of unfortunate events for the Lions in the third quarter, during which Detroit blew a 17-point, halftime lead. The Lions were never able to recover, and ended up being on the losing end of what was their first NFC title game in 32 years.
That very well could have been Reynolds’ last game in a Lions uniform, too. He’s set to be an unrestricted free agent this offseason, and there’s no guarantee that he’ll be brought back for a fourth season in Motown.
Although Reynolds’ 2023 season didn’t end on a positive note, there is plenty of reason to bring him back, though (as long as the contract terms are reasonable for Detroit).
Goff and Reynolds have developed a great bond, dating back to their days playing together with the L.A. Rams.
Reynolds entered the NFL in 2017 (with the Rams), and has been a teammate of Goff’s basically ever since. The only time Reynolds wasn’t a teammate of the veteran quarterback’s was during a five-game stretch in 2021, when the pass-catcher was a member of the Tennessee Titans.
After a disappointing half-season stint in Tennessee, he was cut by the Titans, and eventually was picked up by Detroit.
Detroit Lions rookie defensive back Brian Branch
