One of Detroit’s longtime special teams leaders is now heading to a division rival.

Jalen Reeves-Maybin — a Pro Bowl special teamer and former captain for the Detroit Lions — has officially landed in Chicago. The Bears announced Tuesday that they have added the 30-year-old linebacker to their practice squad.

Reeves-Maybin entered the league as a fourth-round pick by Detroit in 2017 and spent seven of the last eight seasons with the Lions, aside from one year with Houston in 2022. After returning to Detroit, he became a key contributor to the team’s resurgence, earning captain honors in 2023 and 2024, picking up a Pro Bowl nod, making second-team All-Pro, and even serving as the president of the NFL Players Association.

Despite his popularity among fans, Detroit released Reeves-Maybin in February to clear roughly $2 million in cap space.

Back in 2023, head coach Dan Campbell spotlighted Reeves-Maybin in a passionate postgame locker-room speech, referring to him and several other longtime players as “the old guard.” As Jeremy noted at the time, those veterans — like many loyal fans — endured years of difficult seasons but continued to give everything they had. Now, that same group played a major role in what has become Detroit’s most memorable season in decades.

On a lighter note, the rookie-year locker-room “Billie Jean” star is back to dancing again — this time in a new Hanes commercial.

The Lions, sitting at 6–4, may need around five more wins to secure a playoff spot with seven games left. Shawn Windsor of the Detroit Free Press argues that Detroit cannot afford to let the postseason race come down to the final week. ($)

Meanwhile, Jeff Seidel of the Free Press urges fans to take a breath, pointing to two clear reasons for optimism. ($)

And finally… the legendary “Sticky Note Guy” made an appearance on the Today Show!