Andrew Buller-Russ
From the moment Aidan Hutchinson went down with a gruesome season-ending leg injury in Week 5 of the 2024 NFL season, the Detroit Lions have been mentioned as a popular landing spot for the top pass-rushers available. Nearly a year later, the Lions have largely stood pat.
Sure, they brought in Za’Darius Smith ahead of the trade deadline, but once the offseason arrived, the three-time Pro Bowler was released, and he still remains a free agent. While they added a defensive tackle in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft, the Lions didn’t do much to address the edge rusher position.
Now, some are wondering if the Lions could still have another trick up their sleeve, like trading for the Cincinnati Bengals’ disgruntled pass-rusher Trey Hendrickson. Recently, Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer addressed that very idea.
“I like the idea, but I’d say no, because whatever you pay for Trey Hendrickson becomes the floor for a megadeal for star edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson. You’d be talking about $70-million-plus per year sunk into two players at one position—with one of them in his 30s—on a roster with a lot of young talent to pay. I’m not sure that would work.”
SI’s Albert Breer on Detroit Lions trading for Trey Hendrickson
However, Breer did say that he doesn’t think the Lions are done adding to the roster. Just as they did late last season, the Lions could still entertain adding another pass-rusher before the 2025 NFL season kicks off later this fall.
Perhaps a reunion with Smith is still in the cards. Maybe the Bengals lower their asking price for Hendrickson. The truth is, the Lions have a lot of time to further evaluate their pass-rushers on hand and determine whether more help is needed or not.
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