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The Detroit Lions made one of the more shocking moves at the NFL trade deadline on Tuesday. They not only traded star tight end TJ Hockenson, but they also traded him to their division rival Minnesota Vikings.
The Lions are 1-6, with the worst record in the league. They just fired defensive backs coach Aubrey Pleasant on Monday after weeks of poor performances from their secondary. It's clear the Lions are shaking things up.
However, this deal with the Vikings wasn't made due to Detroit's place in the standings. Lions general manager Brad Holmes told reporters on Wednesday that this trade would have happened even if the Lions were 6-1.
“This move was not reflective of our record,” Holmes said of the deal. “If our record was reversed and it made sense for us, then we would have still done it. So it wasn’t anything of that nature, but it made sense for us and we just move forward.”
The Lions traded Hockenson, a 2023 fourth-round pick, and a conditional 2024 fourth-round pick to the Vikings. In exchange, they received a 2023 second-round pick and a 2024 third-round pick.
“We’re still in the build phase,” he said. “So I mean, with the capital that we received back from a compensation standpoint, I just think it made a lot of sense for us to continue on this build.”
The Vikings are without Irv Smith Jr. for the next eight to 10 weeks because of a high ankle sprain. With Hockenson, they have a quality option in the passing game short and potentially long-term.
Hockenson was with the Lions when they lost to the Vikings 28-24 in Minnesota in Week 3. Hockenson returns to Detroit when the Vikings face the Lions on December 11.
