Getty Josh Reynolds catches a pass in the 2021 playoffs against the Packers.
The Detroit Lions have waiver priority thanks to their 0-8 record, and that proved to be a major advantage that helped them land wide receiver Josh Reynolds.
Reynolds hit waivers after his release from the Tennessee Titans on Tuesday, November 9, and it didn’t take him long to find a new home. The Lions snapped Reynolds up on Wednesday afternoon, utilizing their first waiver claim to add a major option for their down field passing attack.
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Reynolds very nearly went to another destination, and he would not have passed through waivers if the Lions hadn’t made the claim. As ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported, the Los Angeles Rams also put a claim in on Reynolds, but he did not make it down the pecking order to the team because the Lions made the claim and had priority.
The #Rams placed a claim on Josh Reynolds, per source, looking to reunite with their former receiver. But Detroit, which is first on the wire, had dibs.
It seemed like a long shot that a team on top of the waiver wire wouldn’t take a flier on Reynolds for the low price of $500,000 for the rest of the season, and that’s just what Detroit did. The Lions need wide receivers, so Reynolds will immediately have the opportunity to see plenty of targets and snaps once he gets into the team’s offense.
Jared Goff Supports Reynolds Addition to Lions
One of the big reasons the Lions likely made the move to bring in Reynolds was his relationship with Jared Goff. Detroit’s quarterback worked with Reynolds when he was in Los Angeles previously, and on Wednesday, November 10, Goff sung Reynold’s praises before the wideout was picked up a few hours later.
“Josh is a great player, I saw he was available. It’s up to Brad (Holmes) and Dan (Campbell) on that, but wherever he lands, I’m sure he’ll be great,” Goff told the media.
That place turned out to be Detroit, so now, Goff will be reunited with Reynolds and will get a chance to show off some of the talent which he has already flashed to the league. It’s true that Goff would probably be a major fan of adding a player who fit with him well before and has chemistry at this point.
Reynolds Career Stats & Highlights
At just 26 years old, Reynolds is one of the better young pass catchers on the market currently. After starting his career with Texas A&M in college and putting up 2,788 yards and 30 touchdowns in his career, he was scooped up in the fourth-round of the 2017 NFL draft by Los Angeles. In his NFL career, Reynolds hasn’t made a huge impact, but has put up 1,540 yards and 9 scores in his career. Most of that production came with the Rams, and after signing in Tennessee, Reynolds did not see much playing time or make much of an impact. With just 90 total yards receiving, it makes sense he would want a new chance at generating more offense somewhere else, which is what the Titans are giving him via release.
Here’s a look at some highlights from his Rams career:
At 6-3, Reynolds is a big body and the type of wideout the team could be missing to help them stretch the field. At the very least, the Lions can take solace in nabbing him from the Rams.
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