The Detroit Lions are unquestionably a good team, but they’re also unquestionably flawed in meaningful ways.
First and foremost, the Lions are missing a second viable edge-rusher alongside Aidan Hutchinson. Brad Gagnon of Bleacher Report predicted Wednesday, October 29, that Detroit will address that deficiency by trading a second-round draft pick to the Cincinnati Bengals for Trey Hendrickson.
“The Bengals haven’t been able to work out a long-term deal with Hendrickson for some time, and they could decide to cut bait now. Meanwhile, the Lions have been looking for another pass-rushing option to complement Aidan Hutchinson for about the same length of time,” Gagnon wrote. “Hendrickson costs the Lions a Day 2 pick, but plays a significant role [in] the team’s first-ever Super Bowl run.”
Trey Hendrickson Still Playing at High Level in 2025, Despite Dip in Sack Total
GettyCincinnati Bengals defensive end Trey Hendrickson.
Hendrickson led the NFL with 17.5 sacks last season, the same number he produced in 2023.
Cincinnati is 3-5 this year, and Hendrickson has tallied eight quarterback hits, four sacks and three tackles for loss across the seven contests in which he has played. However, Hendrickson has also amassed 23 QB pressures, 14 hurries, 11 stops and a forced fumble.
Given Hendrickson’s traditional and advanced statistics, Pro Football Focus has afforded him a pass-rush grade of 90.0, which ranks him 8th out of 119 edge defenders who have played enough snaps through Week 8 to qualify.
Hendrickson is earning $29 million this season with a base salary of $16 million, which means that if the Lions were to trade for him following the Bengals’ next game against the Chicago Bears on Sunday, Detroit would owe Hendrickson $8 million for the balance of the 2025 regular season.
Spotrac projects Hendrickson’s market value at close to $134 million over a new four-year contract, (approximately $33.5 million annually). It would make little sense for the Lions to give up such a valuable draft asset for just a half season of Hendrickson, which means the team will almost certainly be prepared to extend him after any deal.
Lions Just Invested $180 Million in Aidan Hutchinson, Potentially Complicating Trade for Trey Hendrickson
GettyDetroit Lions pass-rusher Aidan Hutchinson.
Detroit just committed $180 million over four years on an extension for Hutchinson, which the team and player made official Wednesday. That $45 million annual salary is the second-richest contract for a non-QB in league history, behind only the $46.5 million per year the Green Bay Packers gave fellow edge-rusher Micah Parsons earlier this year. However, Hutchinson’s $141 million guaranteed outpaces Parsons’ total guarantees ($136 million) by $5 million.
That level of investment in one pass-rusher makes it hard to imagine the Lions throwing another $130 million-plus at the same position, particularly for a player in Hendrickson who will play most of next season at 31 years old and will turn 35 late in the final season of a four-year extension.
But Detroit has won the NFC North Division the past two seasons and entered the playoffs as the No. 1 overall seed in the conference last January. The Lions have not made it beyond the NFC Championship Game under head coach Dan Campbell, and the chance is there for them again this season.
As such, Gagnon predicted that Detroit is going to go all-in ahead of the November 4 trade deadline.
“This is a hunch because I think the Lions have to realize there’s a clear path to their first-ever Super Bowl, and they’re going to feel immense pressure to solidify things defensively before the home stretch begins,” Gagnon wrote. “At the very least, the Lions are expected to add a pass-rusher such as Hendrickson or [Jermaine] Johnson and a defensive back like Riq Woolen or Michael Carter II.”
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