49ers Lose Out on Reunion With Top Free Agent

It never made sense for the 49ers to reunite with this top free agent.

Sep 9, 2024; Santa Clara, California, USA; New York Jets cornerback D.J. Reed (4) gestures before the game against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images | Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

Looks like there won't be a reunion for the 49ers after all.

Top free agent cornerback D.J. Reed will not return to the 49ers and rejoin Robert Saleh. He is signing with the Lions on a three-year, $48 million deal with $32 million guaranteed.

BREAKING: Free agent CB D.J. Reed plans to sign with the #Lions on a 3-year, $48M that includes $32M fully guaranteed, multiple sources tell @NFLonFOX.

One of the top corners on the market lands a lucrative deal in Detroit. pic.twitter.com/YuqJ1HhwvI
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) March 10, 2025

Reed was a name linked to the 49ers by outlets like Pro Football Focus. It was an easy one to predict considering Reed played his best years under Saleh who is now back with the 49ers.

However, it never made sense for the 49ers to go after Reed. He was always going to be an expensive player that the 49ers couldn't afford.

Plus, cornerback isn't a pressing need for the 49ers at all. Usually, it is one since they don't usually invest in it enough, but this offseason isn't that.

Charvarius Ward is most likely signing elsewhere, so that is probably where the cornerback need derives from. But the 49ers have already invested fairly heavily at the position.

They extended Deommodore Lenoir during the season and spent a second-round draft pick on Renardo Green who had a solid rookie year.

The 49ers already have two impressive cornerbacks, which is more than a lot of defenses can claim. Having three excellent cornerbacks is a luxury they cannot afford.

It never made sense for the 49ers to go after Reed. They are better off allocating that money towards the defensive line. That will help the cornerback position more than signing one.