Josh Reynolds had an unconventional 2024 season in which he played for both the Broncos and the Jaguars.
But following a tumultuous year, the Jets still signed him to a one-year contract that could be worth up to $5 million.
“I’m blessed, you know,” Reynolds told reporters after practice during organized team activities on Tuesday. “Blessed to be here, blessed to still be playing.
“So, I’m going to take it one day at a time and continue to get better.”
Jets head coach Aaron Glenn and general manager Darren Mougey have had a youth movement since both were hired in January. However, the team decided to sign Reynolds, 30, three weeks after the Jaguars released him after playing in just four games the previous season.
Glenn and Mougey both have familiarity with Reynolds. Following stops with the Rams and Titans, the Lions claimed Reynolds off waivers in 2021. He spent three seasons in Detroit when Glenn was the team’s defensive coordinator.
In his final season with the Lions, Reynolds finished with 40 catches for 608 yards and five touchdowns. In eight seasons, Reynolds has registered 233 receptions, 3,127 yards, and 20 touchdowns.
“I care about good players,” Glenn said about Reynolds. “So, if he is a good player, I want him in the locker room. If I knew him or not, that doesn’t matter to me.
“The fact of the matter is, he is a good player, and I think he has a lot left in the tank. I want him in the locker room. Plus, he’s a good person. It just so happens that he’s played in Detroit, and we happen to know each other. So, there are a lot of guys on this team that didn’t know me, but I am expecting a lot from them, too.”
In 2024, Reynolds parlayed his success with the Lions by signing a two-year, $9 million contract with the Broncos, where Mougey was the team’s assistant general manager. However, Reynolds fractured his finger in a Week 5 victory against the Raiders and was placed on injured reserve.
But Reynolds never played another game for the Broncos. In October, he was wounded after he was shot in the back of his head and his left arm at a strip club in Glendale, Colorado. The Broncos waived Reynolds last December.
“Life is precious for sure, you know,” Reynolds said about last season. “But you know, the more you got to think about it, the more you just kind of relive, relive in it.
“I’ve moved past here in Jersey and ready to get going.”
The Jaguars then claimed him off waivers and he played in the team’s final four games of the season. Reynolds said one of the biggest reasons he signed with the Jets was Glenn. In addition to Glenn, Reynolds also has a relationship with Jets offensive coordinator Tanner Engstrand, who was the Lions’ passing game coordinator for the previous three seasons (2022-24).
“I knew what kind of coach, what kind of person he was,” Reynolds said about Glenn. “I knew what type of culture he was going to bring here and I know it fit well with the Jets.
“I was like, ‘Yeah, I think that would be a good situation.’ I was excited to be part of it.”
Reynolds is among the oldest Jets players on the roster. He is one of three players who are at least 30 years old (Tyrod Taylor and Thomas Hennessy). However, he will compete for a chance to be the team’s second receiver option.
Garrett Wilson is the Jets’ definitive No. 1 receiver after averaging 93 receptions, 1,083 yards, and five touchdowns during his first three years in the league. But the receiver depth behind remains a mystery.
The Jets released Davante Adams in March after a midseason trade last year from the Raiders. Reynolds will compete for snaps with Allen Lazard, Tyler Johnson, Xavier Gipson, Malachi Corley, and rookie Arian Smith.
“I’m here for whatever they need me for,” Reynolds said. “If it’s two, if it’s three, I’m here to help the team win.
“Time will tell and we still got to go through camp and all of that stuff. Guys will merge and some guys will fall. It is just the nature of the business and I’m here to help the team win.”
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