It's hard to believe he will ever play a game in a Bengals uniform again. He will be a FA, is bordering on 30 years old, and will most likely miss AT LEAST half the year next year.

DJ Reader was one of the guys that really helped turn this thing around. He's been here from the beginning, saw some trash years, and helped get us over the hump. He is easily one of the best free agent signings the Bengals have ever had.

Thank you DJ and good luck with the rest of your career. Hopefully you can recover from the injury and be a productive player for many more years.

That being said, DT is at the top of this teams needs for next year. Hopefully they bring in someone(s) via free agency to replace DJ.

DJ was (is) one of the good guys. They had good vision to see what Houston didn't see in him and take the chance to sign him to what was the biggest contract for a NT at that time. He earned it even through the injuries.

(12-18-2023, 11:13 AM)WeezyBengal Wrote: It's hard to believe he will ever play a game in a Bengals uniform again. He will be a FA, is bordering on 30 years old, and will most likely miss AT LEAST half the year next year.

DJ Reader was one of the guys that really helped turn this thing around. He's been here from the beginning, saw some trash years, and helped get us over the hump. He is easily one of the best free agent signings the Bengals have ever had.

Thank you DJ and good luck with the rest of your career. Hopefully you can recover from the injury and be a productive player for many more years.

That being said, DT is at the top of this teams needs for next year. Hopefully they bring in someone(s) via free agency to replace DJ.

It certainly does seem the writing may be on the wall with Reader. Totally agree that he is at the top of the list of all the great free agents we have brought in to turn things around. I really hope the team does offer an atleast competitive offer to bring him back maybe with the injury he takes a bit of a discount to return for a year or two. Either way DT is high on the list but I know we our high on the list of Dline salaries so I don't think we will bring in an outside FA and will probably have to add thru the draft. That's why I would love to try and get him back on a budget and give him time to work himself in while helping the younger guys.

(12-18-2023, 11:13 AM)WeezyBengal Wrote: It's hard to believe he will ever play a game in a Bengals uniform again. He will be a FA, is bordering on 30 years old, and will most likely miss AT LEAST half the year next year.

DJ Reader was one of the guys that really helped turn this thing around. He's been here from the beginning, saw some trash years, and helped get us over the hump. He is easily one of the best free agent signings the Bengals have ever had.

Thank you DJ and good luck with the rest of your career. Hopefully you can recover from the injury and be a productive player for many more years.

That being said, DT is at the top of this teams needs for next year. Hopefully they bring in someone(s) via free agency to replace DJ.

If the Bengals were not planning on re-signing DJ, I would think they would have drafted his replacement by now. Maybe the injury changes their plans, but I think there was mutual interest in him returning. I'm hoping we sign him to a 2 or 3 year deal, maybe a little under market to account for his injury, and then live with Tupou until he's healthy enough to start again.

He's so incredibly important to Lou's scheme. He basically makes a 7 man box an 8 man box. You can't just find that anywhere.

(12-18-2023, 11:23 AM)NUGDUKWE Wrote: It certainly does seem the writing may be on the wall with Reader. Totally agree that he is at the top of the list of all the great free agents we have brought in to turn things around. I really hope the team does offer an atleast competitive offer to bring him back maybe with the injury he takes a bit of a discount to return for a year or two. Either way DT is high on the list but I know we our high on the list of Dline salaries so I don't think we will bring in an outside FA and will probably have to add thru the draft. That's why I would love to try and get him back on a budget and give him time to work himself in while helping the younger guys.

totally agree with all said on Reader, the antithesis of what alot of what Marvin was bringing in. That said, we do need to address DT next season in a BIG way.
Why not sign a vet like Cox to a into a friendly retirement deal to help fill the void and add a rookie or 2? 

(12-18-2023, 11:13 AM)WeezyBengal Wrote: It's hard to believe he will ever play a game in a Bengals uniform again. He will be a FA, is bordering on 30 years old, and will most likely miss AT LEAST half the year next year.

DJ Reader was one of the guys that really helped turn this thing around. He's been here from the beginning, saw some trash years, and helped get us over the hump. He is easily one of the best free agent signings the Bengals have ever had.

Thank you DJ and good luck with the rest of your career. Hopefully you can recover from the injury and be a productive player for many more years.

That being said, DT is at the top of this teams needs for next year. Hopefully they bring in someone(s) via free agency to replace DJ.

I believe DJ and Vonn Bell were critical acquisitions towards getting this thing turned around. 

Likely much easier to re-sign now

So he won’t be ready at the start of next season? That sucks. Reader has been a big part of the Ds success.
They need another DT but there will also be a huge hole at RT this off season.

I was happily shocked when they stopped the Vikings from gaining a yard 2 times in a row without Reader.

(12-18-2023, 11:41 AM)Crazyjdawg Wrote: If the Bengals were not planning on re-signing DJ, I would think they would have drafted his replacement by now. Maybe the injury changes their plans, but I think there was mutual interest in him returning. I'm hoping we sign him to a 2 or 3 year deal, maybe a little under market to account for his injury, and then live with Tupou until he's healthy enough to start again.

He's so incredibly important to Lou's scheme. He basically makes a 7 man box an 8 man box. You can't just find that anywhere.

It's his second major knee injury and he's aging - not to mention he's going to miss the majority of next season. Leacing emotion out of it, I just don't see a world where it makes sense to bring him back. 

(12-18-2023, 11:48 AM)Big_Ern Wrote: Likely much easier to re-sign now

That's my line of thinking: he came back nice and strong the last time.

(12-18-2023, 12:05 PM)WeezyBengal Wrote: It's his second major knee injury and he's aging - not to mention he's going to miss the majority of next season. Leacing emotion out of it, I just don't see a world where it makes sense to bring him back. 

1. He's never hurt his knee with us, IIRC.
2. It makes absolute sense, we would just need to not count on him from day 1 next year (he'd be put on PUP) and he'd need to be willing to take a discount (which at this point in his career and what has happened, IMO, is not out of the realm of possibility).

Something like a 2/3 year deal and draft his replacement next year, so that he takes the reigns once the contract is up.

Also, here's a look into the recovery. Jamal Adams had a quad tendon tear (same thing as Reader) week 1 last year. It's a very significant inury. It usually takes over a year to recover from.


https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/2023/09/29/seahawks-safety-jamal-adams-is-set-to-return-nearly-13-months-after-a-severe-leg-injury/71008276007/

I think D J is back in somewhat similar way as Mixon this year

(12-18-2023, 12:13 PM)WeezyBengal Wrote: Also, here's a look into the recovery. Jamal Adams had a quad tendon tear (same thing as Reader) week 1 last year. It's a very significant inury. It usually takes over a year to recover from.


https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/2023/09/29/seahawks-safety-jamal-adams-is-set-to-return-nearly-13-months-after-a-severe-leg-injury/71008276007/

Yeah, Reader may never play again (depending on severity and recovery). Quad tears in basketball are generally 2 years to get back to "normal" and still, 20% never play again.

A few guys have made it back... Freeney, Jones... but it ends the careers of about 50% of NFL players.

I think we will resign him ; we don't need him for a whole season just for the stretch run next season!

(12-18-2023, 12:13 PM)WeezyBengal Wrote: Also, here's a look into the recovery. Jamal Adams had a quad tendon tear (same thing as Reader) week 1 last year. It's a very significant inury. It usually takes over a year to recover from.


https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/2023/09/29/seahawks-safety-jamal-adams-is-set-to-return-nearly-13-months-after-a-severe-leg-injury/71008276007/

I think it's the same injury he had before, only on the other leg? Someone may need to correct me on that.

Honestly, I doubt he plays again. This kind of injury is hard to come back from and he is an older player. Add to that his size and that he may have to miss all of next year and it just wouldn't surprise me if he hangs it up.

(12-18-2023, 12:28 PM)WychesWarrior Wrote: I think it's the same injury he had before, only on the other leg? Someone may need to correct me on that.

Correct on both parts, as per the Bengals beat guys.

If DJ never plays for the Bengals again I'll be sharing my gratitude for him in a "DJ Reader Appreciation Thread" because he's been a great player for the organization.

(12-18-2023, 12:43 PM)TecmoBengals Wrote: If DJ never plays for the Bengals again I'll be sharing my gratitude for him in a "DJ Reader Appreciation Thread" because he's been a great player for the organization.

Absolutely!!!

(12-18-2023, 12:28 PM)Wyche Wrote: I think it's the same injury he had before, only on the other leg? Someone may need to correct me on that.

I can't imagine the mental hurdle of recovering from such a brutal injury...again...on a different leg...knowing youre a free agent and possibly going to miss out on millions of dollars. It sounds awful.