Dan Campbell and the Detroit Lions are heading into the 2025 NFL season as one of the top projected teams in the league. Last season, they finished the regular season as the best team in football.
Despite being the best regular season team in the NFL, the Lions didn’t win a playoff game. They were eliminated by the Washington Commanders. Heading into the 2025 campaign, they have unfinished business to attend to.
Ahead of training camp, Detroit is looked at as a team who could look to make a move on the defensive side of the football.
Last season, the Lions saw Aidan Hutchinson go down with a broken leg. They acquired Za’Darius Smith ahead of the NFL trade deadline, but he was released early in the offseason and hasn’t been re-signed.
A blockbuster trade has been suggested that would see Detroit bring in a star pass rusher before the season.
Detroit Lions Predicted to Pull Off Huge Trade for $21 Million Star
Bleacher Report analyst Moe Moton has suggested a blockbuster trade between the Lions and Cincinnati Bengals that would feature pass rusher Trey Hendrickson.
“The Bengals may not feel comfortable paying a 30-year-old edge-rusher entering his age-31 season that amount of money on a multiyear deal. At the right price, they would likely entertain trade proposals,” Moton wrote.
“The Detroit Lions should offer a 2026 second-rounder and a 2026 fifth-rounder to go all-in on an attempt to make a deep playoff run after an early exit last season.”
Hendrickson is coming off of his second straight season recording 17.5 sacks. He also totaled 46 tackles to go along with two forced fumbles and six defended passes in 17 games. Those numbers would give Detroit an even better shot at making a championship run.
If the Lions could acquire Hendrickson for a second and fifth round pick, that would be a no-brainer decision. They would have to pay him a new contract, but alongside of Hutchinson he would form one of the best pass rushing duos that the NFL has seen in quite some time.
While it’s very unlikely that Detroit will make a move for Hendrickson, it would be a move that would make sense.
