What happened to DJ Reed? Jets CB takes major hit after sack attempt on CJ Stroud in TNF clash

DJ Reed has been one of the unsung heroes of the New York Jets. In a defense bannered by stars like Quinnen Williams and Sauce Gardner, he has been a silent operator in his own right, shutting down wideouts and stopping plays.

But his latest attempt at the latter may have cost him dearly. During their Thursday Night Football game against the Houston Texans, the veteran cornerback sacked quarterback CJ Stroud but suffered a concussion in the process, temporarily taking him out of the game:

The sack was DJ Reed's first since his 2018 debut when he was still a San Francisco 49er. He would return to the field a few minutes later.

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DJ Reed sympathizes with fans amid losing streak

Losing seasons have been a recurrent part of DJ Reed's career. When he was a rookie, the 49ers went 4-12. In 2021, the year before he joined the Jets, his Seattle Seahawks went 7-10, the worst team in a very competitive NFC West.

But in between those losing records, he got to win the division title and experience playoff football - 13-3 in 2019 and a Super Bowl run, then 12-4 in 2020. In East Rutherford, however, he has had nothing but pain in the form of seeing his and the defense's exploits wasted by offensive incompetence.

The result: the extension of North American professional sports' longest playoff drought and popular discontent. And Reed can commiserate with all of it. Speaking on Monday after a 22-25 loss at the similarly lowly New England Patriots, he called the Jets' subsequent drop to 2-6 "horrible" and "frustrating" for both him and the fans:

“We got a talented roster, on paper. Quite honestly, that doesn’t mean anything. I know the Jets fans, I know this season is probably crazy watching this. I know the talent of this team, like it doesn’t make sense. So I know that’s how the fans feel, most certainly. I know that they’re probably flabbergasted,” Reed said per Newsday.

He continued by saying that his team should have been dominant but was undone by a lack of urgency and instinct:

“That game should not have even been close, to be real with you. You can’t let anybody in the league feel like they can play with you, especially if you’re up a certain amount of points. You’ve got to put your foot on their throat, really. That game should have been won. I’m going to be real.”

DJ Reed and the Jets now trail the Texans after a rushing touchdown by Joe Mixon in the second quarter.