Report: Veteran DT D.J. Reader finalizing deal with New York Giants

Veteran defensive tackle D.J. Reader is finalizing a deal with the New York Giants, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported on Tuesday. The deal is for two years, worth $12.5 million, per NFL Insider Jordan Schultz.

Reader has played 10 NFL seasons across three different organizations (Houston Texans, Cincinnati Bengals, and Detroit Lions). The Clemson alum has played in 137 career games, compiling 328 tackles, 27 TFL, 12.5 sacks, three fumble recoveries, and one forced fumble.

With the Detroit Lions last season, Reader played and started in a career-high 17 games. He recorded 28 tackles.

The #Giants are finalizing a deal for veteran former #Lions DT DJ Reader, per me and @MikeGarafolo, lending them a large veteran presence.

Reader recently visited the team and they kept talking. With the trade of Dexter Lawrence, some significant defensive help. pic.twitter.com/QCHvrxGhtd

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) May 5, 2026

With the move, New York satisfies its need for depth at the defensive tackle position. Reader is the third defensive tackle the Giants have signed (Shelby Harris and Leki Fotu) since they parted ways with All-Pro DT Dexter Lawrence just before the NFL Draft. New York traded Lawrence to the Cincinnati Bengals for the tenth-overall pick, which it used to select Miami OT Francis Mauigoa.

New York Giants are heading into first year of John Harbaugh era

The Giants are heading into the first year of the John Harbaugh era. Harbaugh was brought in to lead the Giants back to the Playoffs for just the third time since they won Super Bowl XLVI in 2011. Since that Super Bowl victory, the Giants have yet to win a single Playoff game.

“I’m planning on (winning on) day one,” Harbaugh said at his introductory press conference. “That’s what we’ll be shooting for. That’s what we’ll be working for, and I fully expect it to happen. You build anything together, you build it from the inside out. It’s going to be a reflection. Culture is kind of a crazy word. What does it really mean? It’s a world view, it’s a shared understanding, it’s a vision, it’s everybody being on the same page, it’s talking the same language, all these kind of things, same type of values, same type of beliefs.

“Is that like a social studies class maybe we’re talking here? So, what is it in football? It’s a bunch of guys that see the game the same way. It’s a bunch of guys that want to play the game together the same way. It’s a relentless brotherhood, having each other’s back, being unwilling to give up because that guy next to you is unwilling to give up. All these things that these guys believe in. We’ll decide what the culture looks like together every single day by what we do together, and that’s how you build it, together.”