It was a feel-good story last year, when former Michigan football wide receiver Donovan Peoples-Jones landed back in his hometown at midseason.
And the story continues.
A five-star recruit at Detroit (Michigan) Cass Tech, Peoples-Jones departed Ann Arbor a year early and was a late-round NFL draft pick, ending up with the Cleveland Browns. While he showed some merit in the AFC, he received a new lease on his career when he joined the Detroit Lions midseason, finishing his year playing in the NFC championship game. It turns out he’ll get to stay home: The Lions and Peoples-Jones agreed to a one-year deal for up to $2 million.
Breaking: Free agent WR Donovan Peoples-Jones is re-signing with the #Lions for 1-year, up to $2M, source tells @BleacherReport.
Detroit prioritized keeping DPJ, who the organization believes is a rising player at just 25 years old. pic.twitter.com/1kswPpxJsh
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) March 16, 2024
Peoples-Jones has an opportunity with the Lions. At Michigan, he was expected to be the No. 1 receiver and that really only played out in his freshman year. With the Lions, he’ll be behind Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams. At the moment, there are also other receivers who have made impacts, such as Craig Reynolds and returner Kalif Raymond. There will not be much pressure on Peoples-Jones to be the No. 1 guy. With a full season to showcase his skills, he could turn into a bona fide top target in Ben Johnson’s system.