Josh Reynolds established himself as one of the Lions’ premier receivers throughout the 2023 season. However, at
this point, he will not be known for his successful campaign.
Instead, he will be remembered for his underwhelming effort in Detroit’s NFC Championship Game defeat to the
49ers. Reynolds dropped three passes during the game, including one from quarterback Jared Goff on a crucial
fourth-down conversion try in the third quarter.
The slip was the first of several unpleasant incidents for the Lions in the third quarter, during which Detroit lost a 17-
point halftime lead. The Lions were unable to rebound and lost their first NFC championship game in 32 years.
That could have been Reynolds’ final game in a Lions uniform. He’ll be an unrestricted free agency this offseason,
and there’s no guarantee he’ll return for a fourth season in Detroit.
Although Reynolds’ 2023 season did not finish well, there are plenty of reasons to bring him back (if the contract
terms are appropriate for Detroit).
Goff and Reynolds have a strong friendship that dates back to their time playing together with the Los Angeles Rams.
Reynolds joined the NFL in 2017 (with the Rams) and has been a teammate of Goff’s ever since. Reynolds was only
not a teammate of the veteran quarterback for five games in 2021, when he was with the Tennessee Titans.
After a poor half-season in Tennessee, he was released by the Titans and subsequently signed by Detroit.
Reynolds has now developed into an important component for Goff and the Lions’ passing attack. This past season,
he proven to be an extremely trustworthy target for Detroit’s franchise quarterback.
Goff connected with Reynolds 40 times, for 608 yards and five touchdowns. Only Amon-Ra St. Brown and Sam
LaPorta had more receiving yards and touchdowns than Reynolds.
