Lions’ Former Speedster WR Bolts to Sign With 5-Win NFC Team

 
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Lions head coach Dan Campbell.
One of the Detroit Lions’ last remaining unsigned free agents has found a new home with another team in the same conference for the 2025 NFL season.

On Monday, the New Orleans Saints announced they had signed former Lions wide receiver Donovan Peoples-Jones to a one-year contract for the 2025 season. The 26-year-old speedster had spent the majority of the past two seasons with the Lions.

“Thank you to the New Orleans Saints for this new opportunity!” Peoples-Jones wrote on X on Monday afternoon. “#WhoDat #Saints I’m very excited and grateful!!”

The Lions traded for Peoples-Jones at the 2023 trade deadline, sending a 2024 sixth-round pick to the Cleveland Browns in exchange for the speedster wideout. He failed to make much of an impact as a punt returner and limited-usage wide receiver, though.

While Peoples-Jones re-signed with the Lions for the 2024 season, he did not make the 53-man roster coming out of training camp and spent the season on the practice squad.

Now, Peoples-Jones will have an opportunity to get himself back on track in 2025 and compete with the Saints during this year’s training camp. The Saints have Chris Olave, Brandin Cooks and Rashid Shaheed sitting at the top of their depth chart, but some of the depth spots in their receiving rotation are up for grabs ahead of OTAs this month.

 
Donovan Peoples-Jones Has Struggled Despite Speed
Peoples-Jones is a versatile pass-catcher who possesses both size (6-foot-2, 212 pounds) and speed (4.48-second clocking in the 40-yard dash). He can also add value on special teams after returning 61 punts for 479 yards and a touchdown over his first five years.

That said, Peoples-Jones’ chances of reviving his career with the Saints appear slim.

Peoples-Jones seemed on the cusp of a breakout with the Browns in 2022, catching 61 passes for 839 yards and three touchdowns on a career-high 96 targets. His abilities as a route-runner lacked to some degree, but his deep-threat speed made him a valuable asset for the Browns after they traded for Pro Bowl quarterback Deshaun Watson.

Unfortunately for Peoples-Jones, his production waned once again in 2023. He slipped behind Elijah Moore on the depth chart and fell out of favor with the Browns’ coaches, putting the team in a situation where it felt compelled to trade him away — even as they struggled as a passing offense — to get something for him before his contract expired.

The outlook for Peoples-Jones would be stronger if he had made a proper impact with the Lions, but he failed to do that, either. He caught just eight of his 18 targets for 97 yards and three first-downs after the Lions acquired him in 2023. He did not play a single snap for them in 2024, which does not bode well for his ability to bounce back.

 
Lions Remain in Good Position With Current WR Talent
While Peoples-Jones is now formally leaving Detroit to take his shot with the Saints, the Lions are no worse for wear at the receiving position moving toward the 2025 season.

The Lions are bringing back all seven of last year’s top pass-catchers for the new season, including non-wideouts such as Sam LaPorta, David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs. While the offense could undergo some changes as it transitions from Ben Johnson to John Morton as offensive coordinator, the core of the Lions’ receiving arsenal is intact.

The Lions also added two more wide receivers to the mix in the 2025 NFL draft, taking Isaac TeSlaa in the third round and Dominic Lovett late in the seventh round. It is not yet clear how big of a role either one will have for the Lions as rookies, but TeSlaa — given his third-round selection — could push Tim Patrick as the No. 3 receiving option.

In short, the Lions have no reason to worry about Peoples-Jones’ departure.
Jordan J. Wilson is a sports reporter who covers the NFL and MLB for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers. He has previously covered all levels of sports — high school, college and pro — for a variety of publications including The Indianapolis Star, The News-Gazette, Springfield State-Journal Register and Peoria Journal Star. More about Jordan J. Wilson