Former Michigan football playmaker cut by home state team

According to multiple reports, former Michigan football wide receiver, Donovan Peoples-Jones, has been cut from the Detroit Lions. Peoples-Jones was traded to the Lions from the Cleveland Browns last season when the Lions sent the Browns a sixth-round pick in exchange for Peoples-Jones.
The Browns selected Peoples-Jones as a sixth-round selection in the 2020 NFL Draft.
The #Lions are releasing WR Donovan Peoples-Jones, per sources.
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) August 26, 2024
Acquired in a trade last year, DPJ found himself in a crowded receiver room but should have a chance to catch on with a new team in the coming days. pic.twitter.com/FIp1BjCPh2
Peoples-Jones has had an up-and-down NFL career after leaving Michigan. As a sixth-round pick, he caught two touchdowns for the Browns as a rookie. He became a bigger part of the Browns' offense in 2021 when he caught 34 passes for 597 yards and three scores. Peoples-Jones took an even bigger step in 2022 when he caught 61 catches for 839 yards and three scores. But once he went to Detroit, he caught just five passes for the Lions in 2023.
The former Michigan wideout is now on the free market and will attempt to carve out a role on a new team when they come calling.
Peoples-Jones played for Michigan from 2017-19. His best season came in 2018 when he caught 47 passes for 612 yards. The former Detroit (MI) Cass Tech product came to the Wolverines as a five-star receiver.
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Trent began writing and covering Michigan athletics back in 2020. He became a credentialed member of the media in 2021. Trent began writing with Sports Illustrated in 2023 and became the Managing Editor for Michigan Wolverines On SI during the 2025 football season. Trent also serves as the Publisher of Baylor Bears on SI. His other bylines have appeared on Maryland on SI, Wisconsin on SI, and across the USA TODAY Sports network. Trent’s love of sports and being able to tell stories to fans is what made him get into writing.
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