Rather than use one of their injury activations on Josh Reynolds, the Broncos are moving on. The team had a few options with the recovery wideout, and 9News’ Mike Klis notes he will be cut.
Denver, which has three injury activations remaining, had signed Reynolds to a two-year, $9MM deal this offseason. The veteran receiver, however, went down early with a finger injury and then suffered minor wounds in a scary shooting incident in October. That caused a longer-than-expected IR stint, but Reynolds was moving toward a return. The Broncos needed to activate him by Wednesday or place him on season-ending IR; the eighth-year WR now would be in line to return for another team.
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The Broncos could conceivably circle back to Reynolds as a practice squad option, though that would be an interesting move considering the parties agreed on a $4.5MM-per-year contract in March. Reynolds is due just more than $500K in remaining base salary, so a waiver claim should not be considered out of the question in this case. This cut will ensure the Broncos take a $1MM dead money hit in 2025.
This continues a pattern for Sean Payton‘s team this year. Since early March, the Broncos have moved on from Jerry Jeudy, Tim Patrick and now Reynolds. This will keep snaps open for the batch of rookie-deal wideouts on Denver’s roster. Seventh-round pick Devaughn Vele has shown promise early, while the Broncos have seen increased contributions from 2023 second-rounder Marvin Mims. Ex-Bo Nix teammate Troy Franklin, whom the team traded up for in Round 4, has also played a regular role among this batch of Courtland Sutton sidekicks. It appears the Broncos viewed Reynolds as a potential progress-stopper. Ex-Payton Saints charge Lil’Jordan Humphrey also profiles as veteran insurance in Denver.
Like Zach Ertz last season, Reynolds is being waived from IR. The Broncos could have let Reynolds’ 21-day practice window close or activate him. They chose a somewhat unexpected third option, which will let the 29-year-old receiver catch on elsewhere before season’s end. Reynolds will wrap his season with five games played, having caught 12 passes for 183 yards and one touchdown.
Denver added Reynolds before Franklin and Vele were in the picture, with the longtime Jared Goff target effectively representing insurance for the Broncos. Seeing Vele move to the lead of the Broncos’ WR2 committee, the team apparently prefers not to have Reynolds around to take away snaps from its developing crop. As the Broncos will take a chance on using only rookie-deal cogs to support Sutton, this transaction adds an interesting name on the waiver wire for WR-needy teams in the process.
The Lions, who signed Patrick after the Broncos cut him in August, made Reynolds an offer to stay. Though, it came in south of the Broncos’ proposal. It will be interesting to see if Detroit shows interest, given Jameson Williams‘ volatility. The NFL could suspend Williams still, even though a gun charge was ultimately never filed after an October incident. Williams has been suspended twice already and missed most of his rookie season due to injury. Patrick has worked as Detroit’s No. 3 option, but Reynolds played ahead of Williams for much of last season, finishing with 40 receptions for 608 yards and five TDs. Multiple drops in the NFC championship game ended Reynolds’ Lions tenure on a sour note, but the ex-Rams draftee played with Goff in two cities.
The Broncos have now passed on activating both Reynolds and safety Delarrin Turner-Yell; the latter’s practice period closed and he reverted to season-ending IR. Denver does not have another obvious IR-return candidate, though running back Tyler Badie is eligible to be activated. The team, which is entering a bye week, will opt to save some activations for the stretch run.
Detroit reunion
Only if he can become an Edge rusher
Would you rather have Allen Robinson or Josh Reynolds back if something happens to Brown or Williams?
If I were a Lions fan, I’d rather have both of them over Jamo.
Apparently you people have not watched Lions games with Jamo in lineup. There’s a reason he’s the #2, and a reason why Detroit is #1 in points and yards per game when he is starting.
I say Denver brings him back or he joins a WR needy contender like chargers or ravens
MLB better not do the “Golden batter” rule
Spread the word.
I wonder if the Chargers would kick the tires on him … they have around $4.6M in cap space this year
Only $500k left so anybody who wants to claim him should be able to fit that in.
@dezpoo. I was thinking the same since chark has been a scratch. Something is preventing him from seeing the field. That’s not injury related now. They definitely need another receiver with mcconkey being banged up.
I think his route running or football IQ is being questioned? I don’t think it’s effort since he keeps on getting contracts to play. Just sort of weird …
Looks like the Jags blocked everyone and signed Reynolds instead lol
@dezpoo. Definitely a move to block teams. Not like it’s matters record wise and Lawrence going on the IR. Dang it chargers needed Reynolds. He would’ve been the 2nd option on a very thin wideout room.
Some team will try to keep him from returning to Detroit. The Rams?
It would be hilarious if the Chiefs claimed him too!
He will get another shot , uh I mean chance !
Reynolds Wrap?
I didn’t like the Reynolds for Patrick swap (essentially what it was) on Denver’s end, because I don’t see what Reynolds brings that Patrick didn’t, even at that time with Patrick’s injuries. I didn’t think this exactly would happen, but Reynolds’ main strength has always been his connection with Goff. Now that Detroit has a full receiving corps, Reynolds won’t feature there. He’ll be a reserve on some squad to finish the year, and will have to hope for a fresh start next season to catch on as a third or depth option.
For a possession receiver, his hands aren’t great. But Reynolds has a little size and enough experience to add a useful option behind starters on a roster.
What do you mean “a full receiving corps?” The only receiver that I see who threatens defenses with any consistency is ARSB. Jamo is inconsistent as heck, Patrick is meh and the rest are just straight up bad. If I were Detroit, I’d go after Reynolds right now.
Exactly what I said is what I mean. Who are you bumping from that group to start Reynolds? Williams, inconsistent or not, has great speed and forced defenses to account for him deep. He has 630 yards and 4 touchdowns compared to Reynolds’….183 yards and 1 touchdown. Williams is averaging over 18 yards a catch, and even with all of hissed time, has over 1000 yards in the last two years. That’s a third of Reynolds’ total for his career. In fact,Williams has surpassed Reynolds’ best year in Detroit in terms of yardage in this yet to be completed season (630 to 608), and is only a single touchdown behind him (5 to 4). That’s coming in 3 fewer games (10 to 13) and on 6 fewer catches (34 to 40). Plus, Williams is much younger. He offers a ton more than Reynolds ever could.
So, no, there’s absolutely no chance at all that Reynolds starts over Williams, and since St. Brown is rightfully untouchable on the other side, it’d be impossible and ill conceived to feature Reynolds in that offense. I mean, we’re not even considering the ancillary pass catchers in LaPorta or Gibbs. In addition to those two playmakers, Patrick, Raymond, and Montgomery have also all outproduced Reynolds this year.
There’s just no way that Reynolds gets to be one of Detroit’s top offensive options over their two starters, which what featuring would need. Reynolds could be a part, sure, but not featured. At best, he’s the third option, and in reality closer to the fifth, in that group. We’re not even considering what shape he could be in following his injury and time away. His only advantage is his connection with Goff, which admittedly is very helpful, but there’s just no way that he’d be a featured part of that passing attack in 2024, barring some type of injury. There are many other teams who probably have a better role for Reynolds than the Lions do.