Giants Finalizing Two-Year, $12.5M Deal With DT D.J. Reader

According to Ian Rapoport, the Giants are finalizing a contract for veteran DT D.J. Reader. 

He’s been a target of New York’s for a while but it took some time for the two sides to negotiate something both were happy with. Reader reportedly had multiple teams interested and the Giants didn’t have a ton of leverage given their need on the defensive line. 

Jordan Schultz reports the deal is for two years and $12.5 million, with upside for more in incentives, so Reader’s leverage was indeed strong. 

Reader will be a much-needed replacement for former Giants DT Dexter Lawrence. New York has also signed DTs Shelby Harris and Leki Fotu following the draft. 

Reader, 31, is a former fifth-round pick of the Texans back in 2016. He played out the final year of his four-year, $2.55 million contract with the Texans.

The Bengals signed Reader to a four-year, $53 million deal as an unrestricted free agent in 2020.

He made base salaries of $9 million and $11 million in the final two years of his deal and was an unrestricted free agent in 2023 when he signed a two-year, $22 million deal with the Lions.

In 2025, Reader appeared in all 17 games for the Lions and recorded 28 total tackles.

We have him included in our Top 100 Available Free Agents list.