Josh Reynolds is a Lions Hero and Villain. Is This The End of His Story in Detroit?
The wide receiver changed the franchise for the better, but his final memories in Detroit could be that of heartbreak and disappointment
Josh Reynolds’ introduction to the Detroit Lions’ fan base came on Thanksgiving day in 2021. The receiver danced past Chicago Bears cornerback Artie Burns with a sleek double move, and quarterback and old friend Jared Goff found him deep for a 39 yard touchdown strike.
It was Reynolds’ first catch as a Detroit Lion. He signed on to what seemed like a sinking ship (the Lions were 0-8 when he joined, 0-9-1 entering Thanksgiving) mid-season after failing to find a role for himself in the Tennessee Titans offense. Reynolds spent the first four years of his NFL career catching passes from Goff for the Los Angeles Rams. He was picked in the fourth round of the 2017 draft, a year after the Rams selected Goff first overall. Reynolds was cast aside as the Rams offense transitioned from Goff to former Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford.
“It’s awesome,” Reynolds told reporters about playing with Goff again during the week following Thanksgiving. “To get that trust factor back again and start to hit these downfield passes.”
Detroit would end up losing a heartbreaker to the Bears 16-14 on a last second field goal. Once again, victory eluded them, and it started to look like they may once again post a winless record. But once the Goff-Reynolds connection began to click the offense finally found a spark — and the Lions even started to win a few games.
A week later, Reynolds would catch four passes for 69 yards as the Lions knocked off the Minnesota Vikings in dramatic fashion for their season’s first victory. Two weeks later, he’d haul in six passes for 68 yards and a touchdown, playing a key role in a dominating victory over an Arizona Cardinals team that eventually made the playoffs. He wasn’t stuffing the box score, but he emerged as a desperately needed WR2 on an anemic offense. Detroit’s 3-13-1 final record in 2021 was objectively terrible, but they won three of their last six and looked like a team that had found its footing under first year head coach Dan Campbell.
It was almost night-and-day. Once Reynolds arrived in Detroit, Goff looked more comfortable. A familiar face, someone he had chemistry with, helped the quarterback unlock his old Rams form.
During his introductory presser with the Lions media, Reynolds said Goff was excited to have him in town. Even before Detroit officially offered Reynolds a contract, he was hearing from his old quarterback about how excited he was to reunite.
“I was more than excited hearing about Detroit [wanting to sign me],” Reynolds told reporters after signing in early November. “Just seeing how close games have been for them, and seeing the grit they display each week, it's easy for me man. I didn’t leave to go to a winning team. I came to compete.”
The wide receiver would finish 2021 with 19 catches for 306 yards and two touchdowns in the seven games he played for the Lions. These are not numbers to write home about, and don’t really tell the impact he had on the progress in Detroit. You could argue Reynolds’ arrival turned the Lions franchise around, setting them on a path for their most successful era in decades.
General manager Brad Holmes would retain Reynolds on a two year, $6 million deal that offseason. He would continue to perform in his role as a WR3, notching 78 catches for 1,087 yards and 8 touchdowns over the next two seasons.
"Since 2021, he's been one of the best additions we could have had,” Campbell told reporters this season. “The reliability factor. The hands, the route tree that he's able to run, that goes a long way."
Now, Reynolds is a free agent. And as the Lions head into their most important season in franchise history, there is a chance he won’t be around for it. Furthermore, a player who was so important to the Lions’ turnaround may leave with his final impact for the team being one that leaves fans with a sour taste in their mouths.
There are many moments from last season’s NFC Championship game that will haunt Lions fans for the rest of their lives — especially if they don’t go to a Super Bowl soon. A ball bounced off of cornerback Kindle Vildor’s face and right into the hands of San Francisco 49ers receiver Brandon Aiyuk for a huge gain that set up a touchdown. Rookie running back Jahmyr Gibbs fumbled on the first snap of the ensuing offensive possession. With a fleeting chance to still pull out a miracle late, the Lions ran the ball at the goal line and squandered a time out.
But the drops. The drops will live in infamy. Detroit was leading the 49ers 24-10 when they got the ball for the first time in the second half. They chose to attempt a 4th & 2 from the 49ers’ 28 yard line — passing up a 46 yard field goal attempt. Offensive coordinator Ben Johnson’s play call worked, getting Reynolds open on a dig just inside the numbers. Goff threw a pass that hit him in the chest and he dropped it.
The turnover on downs was followed by the infamous Vildor-Aiyuk play, and then Gibbs’ fumble. On the Lions next drive, now the game tied at 24 apiece, they were met with a 3rd and 9 from their own 26. Goff once again targeted Reynolds, and he once again dropped the pass. Detroit would punt, the 49ers took their first lead of the game on the following possession and eventually got to play in the Super Bowl.
These drops were out of character for Reynolds. He spent much of the season as a sure-handed third down target. Through the first seven games of the Lions season, Reynolds caught 21 passes. All but one was for either a first down or touchdown. He dropped just three passes all season.
"I know what kind of player I am. Didn't want to drop them. Shit happens. Do I want those back? Of course, but I can't and I just got to work this offseason and be prepared for the moment when it comes," he told reporters the week after the game.
Reynolds stands tall at 6’3, 194 lbs. He is a lanky, sure-handed receiver that is much stronger than he looks. He catches a majority of his passes in the 10-to-20 yard range, but has the open field ability and quickness to make a man miss and turn upfield for yards after catch. He gets the dirty work done too — an important part of being a Lion under Campbell — proving to be an impressive run blocker the last two seasons.
He very much falls into the jack-of-all-trades-master-of-none archetype of receiver. He doesn’t quite have any elite traits, but he is good enough at a lot of things. Every team wants a receiver like that in their stable, someone who can slide in as a WR2 or WR3 and be serviceable at whatever you need him to do.
This makes his free agency interesting. A lot of teams might want a Josh Reynolds. The Lions have first dibs on him, but insofar haven’t used it to re-sign him.
Detroit’s receiving corps is currently headlined by Amon Ra St. Brown, the all-pro receiver, set for a major payday after a 1,500 yard 2023 campaign. Following him is Jameson Williams, a 2022 first round pick whose career feels like it’s just getting started. Would letting Reynolds walk help clear the path for the talented receiver to shine?
Reynolds, who turned 29 last month, is likely looking for his biggest NFL payday yet. He has only earned $12 million thus far in his career. A potential four year, $25 million contract this offseason could triple his career earnings. He is going to want that, but will the Lions?
It’s hard to say. Detroit values culture more than any other franchise right now, and Reynolds surely fits in. He has been a revelation for the team so far, and Holmes has a habit of rewarding his guys. Reynolds, though, may want to find a spot where he can play as a true WR2 and not take a step back behind Williams for the final stretch of his prime years. He also failed last time he played with a quarterback other than Goff, however, and that may convince him to stick around.
With free agency opening this week, we’ll likely soon find out if Reynolds will ever again dons the Honolulu blue. Either way, he is, in his own right, a surprisingly important player in Lions history, for both the big catches and the big drops.