The New York Jets could get an on-field reunion with veteran and former starting safety Jalen Mills in Week 3.
“The Lions are adding defensive back Jalen Mills to the practice squad, per sources,” ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported in a post on X on September 21. “Mills, a 10-year veteran, was with Detroit for part of last year.”
Mills, a 10-year veteran, was with Detroit for part of last year.
Mills, 32, spent the 2024 season with the Jets, starting eight of his nine appearances.
That was obviously before head coach Aaron Glenn took over, but several of his former teammates remain on the roster.
Jets Could Face Ex-Starter Jalen Mills vs Lions
The Jets are coming off a come-from-ahead defeat, and Glenn made no bones about the magnitude of this matchup, both from a personal standpoint as the Lions’ former defensive coordinator, but also as an opportunity to prove they are a different team than last year.
Mills tallied 44 total tackles, 1 interception, and 1 forced fumble with the Jets.
For his career, he has 460 combined stops, 8 INTs, 3 FFs, 1.5 sacks, and 1 recovery, in addition to his playoff stats.
Mills is a safety, but he can also play cornerback if needed. The Lions are dealing with multiple injuries to starters in their secondary, including both safeties–Brian Branch and Kerby Joseph–being on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list.
His ability to fill in where needed has always been his calling card, even amid injury concerns.
“Mills was injured in the offseason and missed some time early in the season while recovering from a fractured fibula,” NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein wrote in 2016. “Mills isn’t as physical as teams would like in run support but will do what he has to. In man coverage, he’s rock solid until he has to chase vertical jackrabbits and then it can get a little dicey. Mills will probably get action in sub packages early on, but might not be the every-down player that some expect.”
At the time, before the 2016 draft, Zierlein compared Mills to another former Jets starting safety, LaMarcus Joyner, who spent his final two seasons with New York, staring 14 games in 2022.
Former Jets Starting Defensive Back Signs With Lions Before Week 3