Garrett Wilson ready for fun matchup with ex-Jets teammate D.J. Reed

Garrett Wilson was discussing the challenges the Lions present, from their explosive offense to their playmakers on defense.  Text with Brian Costello all season as he brings Sports+ subscribers the latest Jets intel from on the field and off.Then, he smiled as he mentioned one of their cornerbacks, former Jets teammate D.J.

Reed.His presence adds another layer — an emotional one — to Sunday’s meeting in Detroit. “That’ll be a fun matchup, getting to go against one of my great friends from early on in my career,” Wilson said after Thursday’s practice. “He was just competitive as hell, and we would talk about it after.

I can’t imagine we do much talking after this week,” the standout Jets receiver later added. Reed played a pivotal role early in Wilson’s NFL career.Their first summer together in 2022, they battled each other in training camp and became fast friends. Reed had worked his way up the NFL ladder, from being a fifth-round draft pick to signing a three-year, $33 million deal with the Jets in 2022.

Wilson was a first-round draft pick who learned a great deal about hard work and perseverance from Reed’s professional journey. “We ended up being locker neighbors, two lockers down from me.The banter we would have, the conversations, he was someone who beat the odds, honestly,” Wilson said.

“He was undrafted, got to Seattle and worked his way up the depth chart, and all of a sudden he was a mainstay, cornerback No.1.

Stuff like that doesn’t happen by accident. “As a young guy, I might not have known what I know now, but I still knew it was special.He was a great friend.

Every time we [faced each other], he would have something to say about how I could make it better, or ‘G., that was a great route.’ Just stuff like that I appreciate and have held on to this point.” This will mark the first time the two friends see one another as opponents.In his third season with the Lions, Reed is off to a solid start.

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