The Detroit Lions saw their pass rush take a major blow last season when Aidan Hutchinson was lost to a season-ending injury, exposing the team’s lack of depth at the key position.
While the Lions are expected to have Hutchinson back and fully healthy for the coming season, some insiders believe the team is still looking for more help off the edge and named disgruntled Cincinnati Bengals star Trey Hendrickson as a potential target.
But Hendrickson could now be coming down off the trade block, with a report that the contract stalemate with the Bengals could be nearing its conclusion.
Trey Hendrickson Returns to Cincy
Though Hendrickson had been holding out and not reporting to training camp, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that he planned to end the holdout and report on Wednesday. ESPN’s report called Hendrickson’s return a “good-faith gesture” to the team as they worked on a new contract.
The progress could be bad news for Lions, who were pegged as a top contender to land Hendrickson through a trade. Bleacher Report’s Moe Moton noted that Cincinnati seemed reluctant to make a big financial commitment to the star edge rusher.
âThe 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,â wrote Moton.
Moton suggested that the Lions could have landed Hendrickson for a 2026 second-rounder and a fifth-round pick, giving some much-needed depth for the Lions.
âAidan Hutchinson is cleared to participate in football activities, but Detroit needs a reliable pass-rusher opposite him on the defensive line,â wrote Moton.
âMarcus Davenport has struggled with injuries throughout his seven-year career. Heâs missed 28 games over the last two seasons. Al-Quadin Muhammad has been mostly a backup for eight campaigns. Josh Paschal, a 2022 second-rounder, is going into a contract year without much pass-rushing production on his resume.”
Another Target for the Lions
With Hendrickson off the table, the Lions could still have another option to boost their pass rush — a return of Za’Darius Smith. The veteran joined the Lions ahead of last season’s trade deadline, filling in for the injured Hutchinson and ending the season second on the team with 4.0 sacks.
The Lions could already have an inside track to Smith. Mike Payton of AtoZ Sports reported ealier this month that Detroit has remained in contact with the veteran edge rusher, keeping tabs on him as he navigated free agency following his release earlier this offseason.
âHereâs where things are right now. We know that the Lions and Smith have maintained contact since the release went down,â Payton wrote. âThe last time [Lions general manager Brad] Holmes says he spoke with Smith was before the league meetings in early April.â
Smith seemed open to the idea of returning to Detroit as well, Payton added.
âAhead of the draft, Holmes said the Lions had left things in the hands of Smithâs agent and that his agent would let Detroit know if something was going on or if things changed,â Payton wrote. âAt the BET Awards in early June, Smith told USA Today that he wanted to be back in Detroit. Thatâs where weâre at right now. Weâll see what happens in the next two weeks.â
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