DJ Reader

Active

New York Giants · DT

DJ Reader recorded 130 indexed regular-season NFL appearances across 11 rostered seasons with New York Giants, Detroit Lions, Cincinnati Bengals, Houston Texans.

Best highlights

2.3

tackles/gm

playoff games

indexed seasons

130

career games

Five defining games

Start here

A provisional five-game introduction to DJ Reader's most significant indexed performances.

Los Angeles Rams vs Cincinnati Bengals

Super Bowl LVI · Feb 13, 2022

1 tackles · 1 sacks · 0 INT

Oakland Raiders vs Houston Texans

Wild Card · Jan 7, 2017

1 tackles · 1 sacks · 0 INT

Houston Texans vs New England Patriots

Regular Season · Sep 9, 2018

4 tackles · 2 sacks · 0 INT

Chicago Bears vs Detroit Lions

Regular Season · Nov 28, 2024

4 tackles · 2 sacks · 0 INT

Cincinnati Bengals vs Tennessee Titans

Divisional Round · Jan 22, 2022

5 tackles · 0 sacks · 0 INT

Single-game peaks

Career highs

Position-relevant single-game records from DJ Reader's indexed NFL box scores.

Career highs: 7 total tackles · 4 quarterback hits

New England Patriots vs Houston Texans

Regular Season · Dec 1, 2019

7 tackles · 0 sacks · 0 INT

Career highs: 2 sacks · 2 tackles for loss

Chicago Bears vs Detroit Lions

Regular Season · Nov 28, 2024

4 tackles · 2 sacks · 0 INT

Career high: 1 forced fumble

Cincinnati Bengals vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Regular Season · Dec 18, 2022

3 tackles · 0 sacks · 0 INT

Career chapters

Franchise eras

Follow the team eras that shaped DJ Reader's career, in chronological order.

Earliest → latest

Franchise era

2011–2016

DJ Reader

J.J. Watt

Arian Foster

Defense brings January football to Houston

Houston Texans · Watt and the first playoff teams

Wade Phillips's defense and Foster's zone running produced consecutive division titles, while Watt became the era's defining defensive player.

Read the era story →

Franchise era

2017–2020

DJ Reader

Deshaun Watson

DeAndre Hopkins

Quarterback promise meets organizational collapse

Houston Texans · A brilliant rise unravels

Houston found dynamic quarterback play and won two more divisions before injuries, damaging personnel decisions and off-field crisis ended the core.

Read the era story →

Franchise era

2020–present

DJ Reader

Joe Burrow

Ja'Marr Chase

A fearless quarterback returns Cincinnati to the Super Bowl

Cincinnati Bengals · Burrow changes the ceiling

Burrow and Chase reunited from LSU, produced an immediate AFC championship and made Cincinnati a threat whenever its quarterback is healthy.

Read the era story →

Franchise era

2021–present

DJ Reader

Jared Goff

Amon-Ra St. Brown

Culture, line play and a fearless contender

Detroit Lions · Restore the roar

Brad Holmes and Dan Campbell converted the Stafford trade into a deep core, won the division and reached the NFC Championship Game while reconnecting team and city.

Read the era story →

Franchise era

2013–present

DJ Reader

Odell Beckham Jr.

Saquon Barkley

One playoff breakthrough amid repeated resets

New York Giants · Searching after the champions

The title core aged, Beckham supplied a spectacular interlude and changing front offices struggled to construct a durable successor.

Read the era story →

DJ Reader

Start here

Career highs

Franchise eras

Houston Texans · Watt and the first playoff teams

Houston Texans · A brilliant rise unravels

Cincinnati Bengals · Burrow changes the ceiling

Detroit Lions · Restore the roar

New York Giants · Searching after the champions

NFL appearances

DJ Reader

Start here

Career highs

Franchise eras

Houston Texans · Watt and the first playoff teams

Houston Texans · A brilliant rise unravels

Cincinnati Bengals · Burrow changes the ceiling

Detroit Lions · Restore the roar

New York Giants · Searching after the champions

Career accomplishments

Team history

NFL appearances

Career accomplishments

Team history