Detroit reaches two-year extension with All-Pro special teamer Reeves-Maybin
“Yeah, he does do everything for us, and more importantly to me, he takes guys aside when he needs to.”
— Dave Fipp, Lions special-teams coordinator
The Detroit Lions are getting a head start on next month’s free-agency period, agreeing to a two-year extension with one of their own, pending free agents. The team has come to terms on a new deal with special-teams standout Jalen Reeves-Maybin, a league source confirmed to The Detroit News.
NFL Network was first to report the signing, a two-year pact worth up to $8 million, with earnable incentives and including a $2.5 million signing bonus and $5.2 million in total guarantees.
A fourth-round draft pick for the Lions out of the University of Tennessee in 2017, Reeves-Maybin has spent most of his pro career with the Lions. After five years with the franchise, he briefly departed to Houston in 2022 after receiving a sizeable contract offer, only to return to Detroit the following season.
In 2023, he had his best campaign, tying for the league lead in special-teams tackles, while also successfully converting a pair of fake punts — one as a runner and the other throwing the ball downfield. His accomplishments earned him a Pro Bowl selection and second-team AllPro honors.
“Yeah, he does do everything for us, and more importantly to me, he takes guys aside when he needs to,” Lions special-teams coordinator Dave Fipp said late in the season. “I think I spoke about how he’s really kind of a leader by example. A lot of what he does is how he leads, but he also has a subtle way of grabbing a guy and giving him some advice or a pointer and really taking the leadership of the whole group under his hands. And he’s done a great job with that. I mean we’re lucky to have him, I know that for sure.”
In addition to his special-teams prowess, Reeves-Maybin flashed in a rotational defensive role down the stretch of the season, showcasing pass rush and coverage skills.
Reeves-Maybin was one of more than 20 pending free agents for the Lions. That group is headlined by guards Jonah Jackson and Graham Glasgow, wide receiver Josh Reynolds and defensive back C.J. Gardner-Johnson. Reeves-Maybin is the second to re-sign with the Lions in recent days, following kicker Michael Badgley.
In addition to those soon-to-be free agents, the Lions are expected to pursue contract extensions with multiple players entering the final year of their contracts, namely quarterback Jared Goff, wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown and defensive tackle Alim McNeill.
Pending free agents are able to negotiate with other teams starting March 11 and can sign as soon as March 13.