The Detroit Lions have inked a historic extension deal with special teams standout Jalen Reeves-Maybin.
In their offseason endeavors to secure key players on extended contracts, the Detroit Lions accomplished a significant milestone on Monday. They finalized a two-year extension for special teams standout Jalen Reeves-Maybin, marking a historic deal in NFL history for core special teams players. The contract, as reported by NFL Network, includes a $2.5 million signing bonus and can reach a maximum value of $8 million.
Originally a fourth-round pick in 2017, Reeves-Maybin’s performance last season earned him second-team All-Pro honors. He tied for the league lead with 14 special teams tackles, successfully executing two fake punts resulting in a 31-yard pass to Khalil Dorsey and a 3-yard run. Additionally, he played a rotational role at linebacker in passing situations, contributing 20 defensive tackles and one sack, earning his first Pro Bowl selection.
Lions general manager Brad Holmes, in an interview on WXYT-FM, emphasized the team’s commitment to their strategy of drafting, developing, and re-signing their own players, despite having ample salary cap space. The team had previously re-signed kicker Michael Badgley, who shares the same agent, Brian McLaughlin, with Reeves-Maybin.
While Lions quarterback Jared Goff and receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown are expected to be targeted for long-term extensions this offseason, the team still faces the challenge of dealing with 18 players scheduled to become unrestricted free agents when the 2024 league year opens on March 13.
Reeves-Maybin, who has spent six of his seven NFL seasons in Detroit, briefly departed for a free-agent deal with the Houston Texans in 2022 before returning on a one-year deal last spring.
