As the regular season draws near, trade rumors surrounding Cincinnati Bengals star edge rusher Trey Hendrickson are heating up and the Detroit Lions should be one of the teams interested in acquiring his services.
According to The Athletic's Dianna Russini and Paul Dehner Jr., the Bengals have been involved in trade talks for Hendrickson for weeks, and not only is Cincinnati looking for a draft pick in return, the team is "also targeting defensive players in a potential deal."
NFL insider Jordan Schultz notes that the Bengals want one or two impact players, plus draft capital in exchange for the 2024 sacks leader. He lists the Cleveland Browns, Carolina Panthers and Indianapolis Colts as interested teams.
The Lions have an immensely talented roster, but it remains to be seen if they'd be willing to weaken another position to bring Hendrickson in.
But that isn't the only potential roadblock. Hendrickson would have to be extended on a deal that will likely pay him north of $30 million annually, which would be a risky commitment to make for a player set to turn 31 in December.
The Lions have the means to fit Hendrickson's 2025 salary in with over $47 million in cap space, but they are currently slated to be $43 million over the cap in 2026.
Things look better in 2027, with Detroit projected to have $72 million in cap space that year, but bear in mind there's a massive Aidan Hutchinson extension coming, and guys like wide receiver Jameson Williams, safety Brian Branch, and running back Jahmyr Gibbs will also be due for extension in the next few years.
And that brings us to our next point: the Lions would have a huge chunk of their salary cap wrapped up in two edge rushers once Hutchinson is extended.
Despite the obvious need along the edge, the Lions have sounded content with the group they have and it remains possible the team re-signs Za'Darius Smith to help fortify the group for 2025.
While we would love to see the Lions throw caution to the wind and bring in the four-time Pro Bowler, there are more than enough reasons to believe general manager Brad Holmes ultimately won't pull the trigger.
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