Reader (personal) returned to practice Friday, Geoff Hobson of the Bengals' official site reports.
Reader was away from the team for personal reasons Thursday. However, he'll be ready to return to his typical role as a run-stuffer along Cincinnati's defensive line for a Week 13 matchup against Kansas City. In five games this season, Reader has 11 total tackles and two passes defended.
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Bengals' DJ Reader: Returns from IR
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Reader (knee) was activated off of injured reserve Saturday.
Reader is expected to make his return this week versus the Steelers after injuring his MCL back in Week 3 against the Jets. Reader will return to his starting spot at defensive tackle alongside B.J. Hill, and the former should improve a Bengals run defense that already ranks in the top 10.
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Bengals' DJ Reader: Will play Sunday, per HC
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Bengals head coach Zac Taylor said Friday that Reader (knee) will play Sunday against the Steelers, Geoff Hobson of the Bengals' official site reports.
Reader was designated to return from injured reserve Monday after missing the previous six games due to an MCL sprain, but he appears to have progressed well during practice and is in line to suit up Sunday. Despite Taylor's optimism, Reader won't officially clear his injury designation until the Bengals activate the defensive tackle from IR.
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Bengals' D.J. Reader: Cleared to practice
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Reader (knee) was designated to return from injured reserve Monday.
Reader has missed the last six games due to an MCL sprain, but he'll be able to rejoin the Bengals at practice following their Week 10 bye. The 28-year-old will need to be activated from injured reserve within the next three weeks if he hopes to play again in 2022.
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Bengals' D.J. Reader: Will remain out through Week 10 bye
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Bengals head coach Zac Taylor said Wednesday that Reader (knee) won't be activated ahead of Sunday's matchup against Carolina, Charlie Goldsmith of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.
Reader will miss a sixth consecutive contest while on IR due to an MCL sprain, but it sounds like he may return to practice following the Bengals' Week 10 bye. Taylor said the team will "get a feel" for Reader's status during the bye and added that the defensive tackle's progress has "been really positive" so far.
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Bengals' D.J. Reader: Won't return Monday night
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Bengals' coach Zac Taylor said that Reader (knee) won't be ready to return Monday night against the Browns, Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com reports.
Hobson suggested the Bengals will likely hold out Reader until after they return from their bye week, November 20th against the Steelers.
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Bengals' D.J. Reader: Won't return Sunday
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Readers (knee) is ruled out for the remainder of Sunday's game against the Jets, Kelsey Conway of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.
Reader went down with a knee injury after making a tackle in the first half against the Jets, though he was ultimately able to walk off under his own power, per Charlie Goldsmith of The Cincinnati Enquirer. The starting defensive tackle recorded eight tackles (seven solo) over the first two games this season, and his absence will mark a substantial blow for the Bengals' defense. As a result, expect Josh Tupou to step up into a larger role against the Jets.
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Bengals' D.J. Reader: Ruled out for Week 18
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Reader (coach's decision) has been ruled out for Sunday's game against the Browns, Jay Morrison of The Athletic reports.
Reader returned from the reserve/COVID-19 list, but he didn't travel with the team ahead of Sunday's regular-season finale against the Browns since the Bengals will be resting several starters ahead of the playoffs. Across 15 appearances in the regular season, he totaled 43 tackles (22 solo) and two sacks.
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Bengals' D.J. Reader: Returns from COVID list
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Reader (illness) was activated from the reserve/COVID-19 list Thursday.
Reader tested positive for the virus over the weekend but has cleared the health and safety protocols over the next few days. He should return to his starting role at defensive tackle for Cincinnati in Week 17 now that he's available.
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Bengals' D.J. Reader: Lands on COVID-19 list
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The Bengals placed Reader (illness) on the reserve/COVID-19 list Saturday.
Reader was unavailable for Sunday's win over the Ravens after he tested positive for COVID-19. His status for Sunday's Week 17 matchup against Kansas City depends on whether he's able to test negative for the virus before then, Ben Baby of ESPN.com reports.
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Bengals' D.J. Reader: Puts quad injury behind him
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Reader (quadriceps) has been fully cleared heading into camp, Charlie Goldsmith of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.
Reader suffered a season-ending quad injury in October but has successfully recovered. He's expected to regain his starting role on the interior of Cincinnati's defensive line.
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Bengals' D.J. Reader: Bengals still struggle against run
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The Bengals, which overhauled their defense to better defend against the run with Reader as a key offseason signing, are 27th in rush yards allowed and last in the NFL in yards after contact, Jay Morrison of The Athletic reports.
This is not to say that this lies at the feet of Reader - in fact, the team is pleased with his performance so far. But, Cincinnati has been strikingly poor in finishing tackles as a defensive unit, although they haven't been at full strength so far. The biggest absences have been Geno Atkins and Trae Waynes, who haven't played at all. Additionally, Mackensie Alexander and Logan Wilson missed the Week 4 game.
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Bengals' D.J. Reader: Healthy moving forward
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Reader (muscle cramps) wasn't listed on Monday's injury report, Jay Morrison of The Athletic reports.
It was quite concerning when Reader was carted off the field during Sunday's loss to the Chargers, but it was indeed just muscle cramps, as he was a full participant in Monday's practice. He'll be counted on heavily in Thursday's matchup against the Browns, especially if Geno Atkins (shoulder) is unable to go.
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Bengals' D.J. Reader: Escapes serious injury
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Reader (muscle cramps) is probable to return to Sunday's tilt against the Chargers, Marisa Contipelli of the Bengals' official site reports.
Reader was carted off the field due to what initially looked to be a significant injury, so it's encouraging to see him listed as probable. As long as Reader remains off the field, however, the Bengals defense will face increased difficulty stopping the run.
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Bengals' D.J. Reader: Loses weight during offseason
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Reader said Wednesday that he's lost about 30 pounds since the end of last season, dropping his weight to around 317, Marisa Contipelli of the Bengals' official site reports.
Reader often played nose tackle in Houston the past four seasons and showed some pass-rushing talent with 13 quarterback hits and 2.5 sacks in 2019. After defecting to Cincinnati on a four-year, $53 million contract, Reader probably envisions himself getting more opportunities to chase quarterbacks as a 3-technique tackle in a 4-3 defense. The change might mean sacrificing something against the run, but it's not like he'll be undersized at 317 pounds.
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Texans' D.J. Reader: Signing with Bengals
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Reader is slated to sign a four-year, $53 million deal with the Bengals, Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle reports.
That will make Reader -- who recorded 52 tackles and 2.5 sacks for the Texans in 2019 -- the highest-paid nose tackle in the NFL, while Field Yates of ESPN notes that by adding him to the mix alongside Geno Atkins, the Bengals will now boast one of the best defensive tackle duos in the league.
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Texans' D.J. Reader: Records sack in win
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Reader recorded four tackles, a sack, a tackle for loss and one quarterback hit in Sunday's 53-32 win over Atlanta in Week 5.
Reader's been a mainstay in the middle of Houston's defensive line since he was drafted in 2016, but he doesn't typically record many sacks. His 2.5 sacks through five games in 2019 is a new career best for the fourth-year nose tackle.
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Texans' D.J. Reader: Back at practice
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Reader. who missed time during training camp with a groin injury, returned to practice Monday, Deepi Sidhu of the Texans' official site reports.
Reader, the Texans' starter at nose tackle, is expected to make his preseason debut Saturday against the Cowboys.
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Texans' D.J. Reader: Dealing with sprained knee
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The Texans placed Reader on injured reserve Tuesday due to a sprained knee, Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle reports.
It wasn't originally known why Reader was shut down for the Texans' final two contests, but Wilson's report provides clarity on the situation. Reader won't require surgery to address the injury and should be a full participant in the Texans' offseason program.
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Texans' D.J. Reader: Primed for starting role
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The Texans have "no concerns" that Reader will be able to replace Vince Wilfork at nose tackle, Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle reports.
The Texans' 2016 fifth-round pick -- who was viewed as more of a rotational lineman coming out of Clemson -- started seven games in his rookie season and proved sufficiently capable of occupying double teams and clogging up the trenches at the professional level. While he finished the year with only 22 tackles and one sack across 16 appearances, Reader seems to be a lock to improve upon his 40-percent snap count from a season ago. Consequently, he should have more of an opportunity to rack up the counting stats in his sophomore campaign.
