As the Bengals-Trey Hendrickson contract impasse drags on, the possibility of a trade looms over the situation. The Lions, despite recent interest in elite EDGE players like Myles Garrett and Maxx Crosby, do not appear to be a Hendrickson suitor.
Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press says a pursuit of the 2024 sack leader would run counter to the Lions’ current operation. After all, Detroit is in the midst of negotiations with its own standout pass rusher, Aidan Hutchinson, and those discussions may well culminate in an extension that catapults Hutchinson to the top of the EDGE market (currently paced by Garrett’s $40MM average annual value).
It would therefore be quite difficult for the Lions to surrender notable draft capital to complete a Hendrickson trade – even if Cincinnati relaxes its demand of a first-round pick plus more – and then authorize a contract near the top of the market for a second defensive end. Hendrickson’s age (30) will likely prevent him from reaching the $40MM/year club, but as Birkett suggests, a $35MM AAV is not out of the question.
Plus, the Lions have other contractual matters to resolve. While Hutchinson is presumably at the top of GM Brad Holmes’ agenda at the moment, Birkett says the club is looking ahead to a second deal for running back Jahmyr Gibbs – who will be eligible for a new contract at the end of the 2025 season – and other internal cornerstones. While Birkett does not expressly say so, it could be that Gibbs’ 2023 draftmates like Jack Campbell, Sam LaPorta, and Brian Branch are already on Holmes’ extension radar (Holmes finalized a record-setting extension for safety Kerby Joseph just a few weeks ago).
Of course, the prospect of pairing Hutchinson with Hendrickson is a tempting one. Hendrickson has earned Pro Bowl acclaim in each of his four seasons with the Bengals, and he has recorded 17.5 sacks in both of the past two seasons (his 2024 showing led to his first First Team All-Pro bid and placed him second in Defensive Player of the Year balloting). Hutchinson, who will turn 25 in August, averaged 10 sacks per season over his first two NFL campaigns and hit 7.5 sacks in just five contests in 2024 before suffering a season-ending leg injury.
It was that injury that led to Detroit’s in-season trade interest in Garrett and Crosby. After the team was rebuffed in those pursuits, it pivoted to Za’Darius Smith, and with Hutchinson ready to go for 2025, Birkett says the team will seek a complementary piece rather than a marquee addition.
Smith, who was released in a cost-cutting move in March, still profiles as a logical candidate to return. Holmes said last month he had not spoken with Smith’s camp since the release, but those comments were made before the 2025 draft. Now that the draft is in the books and clubs have a better idea of their roster needs, the two sides could circle back to each other. DeMarcus Walker, who visited Detroit in April, also remains unsigned, as does Von Miller.
The Lions re-signed DE Marcus Davenport this offseason after his first year in the Motor City was cut short by an elbow injury. As of the time of this writing, Davenport is penciled in as Hutchinson’s bookend on Detroit’s defensive front.