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The Detroit Lions are ready to make some noise during the 2025 NFL season. Detroit had an incredible 2024 campaign that was arguably the best in franchise history, at least in the regular season. Unfortunately, the Lions were simply too injured to make a deep playoff run. They lost in a Divisional playoff game against the Washington Commanders.
Detroit reloaded the roster during the 2025 offseason, adding depth at all levels of the roster. Now the one missing piece that could propel them to a Super Bowl is another edge rusher.
The Lions were paired with several edge rushers throughout the offseason, but only made a handful of additions. That's where Trey Hendrickson comes in.
Hendrickson has been in the news for the entire offseason. He is seeking a massive contract extension from the Bengals after back-to-back 17.5-sack seasons. Certainly, Hendrickson has earned that extension.
Unfortunately, the two sides have yet to agree on an extension of any kind.
Hendrickson showed up to Bengals rookie minicamp last Tuesday to talk with the media about his contract situation. He dropped a bombshell during that interview, claiming he will not play for the Bengals on his current contract.
Hendrickson's ultimatum opens the door back up for other NFL teams to make trade offers for him.
Could Lions GM Brad Holmes work some magic and finally find a running mate opposite of Aidan Hutchinson? And if he does, what would the price be to acquire Hendrickson?
Lions mortgage future to pair Aidan Hutchinson with Trey Hendrickson
Let's review the terms of this proposed trade before we get into any analysis.
Lions receive:
- DE Trey Hendrickson
- 2026 third-round pick
Bengals receive:
- 2026 first-round pick
- 2027 second-round pick
- 2026 fifth-round pick (conditional)
- DT D.J. Reader
The Bengals would have to at least stop to consider a trade package like this one. Cincinnati seems determined to receive at least one first-round pick in return for Hendrickson in a trade. That is reasonable considering how productive he has been. However, it is also a huge ask for the acquiring team.
Hendrickson will demand a contract extension in the neighborhood of $30 million per season if he is traded. That is a tough pill to swallow on top of giving up a first-round pick.
But the Lions don't stop there. They also include a future second-round pick and veteran defensive tackle D.J. Reader as a sweetener.
Reader spent four seasons in Cincinnati before heading up to Detroit in 2024. The Bengals have tried desperately to replace Reader with younger players (Kris Jenkins Jr., McKinnley Jackson) but it has not worked out so far.
This conditional pick is the key to making this deal appealing to Cincinnati. In this proposal, it is a fifth-round pick to start, but it will escalate depending on Hendrickson's production and Detroit's postseason success.
There are a number of different ways this could be structured, especially if the Bengals are picky about terms. But it would be fair to have the pick escalate to a fourth-round pick based on certain benchmarks for Hendrickson's production, for example, if he exceeds 10 sacks in the regular season or earns Pro Bowl honors.
The pick could even upgrade all the way up to a second-round pick if the Lions make a Super Bowl appearance. The Bengals would be foolish not to consider this offer.
Should the Lions really give up that much for Trey Hendrickson?
It is easy to understand how this trade could work out for Cincinnati. If Hendrickson won't play for you, it is smart to let another team pay through the nose to acquire him. But does this trade make sense for the Lions?
This trade could certainly work out for Detroit, but they would have to be extremely convicted to make the offer in the first place. Lions general manager Brad Holmes may not want to make a bold “all-in” move, but the Lions have a roster that is good enough to make it work.
Detroit's offensive line and skill positions have plenty of depth on rookie contracts, enough to survive a few more seasons without reinforcements. Quarterback is also set with Jared Goff and Hendon Hooker.
As for the defense, Tyleik Williams and Alim McNeill look set to hold down the interior. The Lions also have plenty of depth, including young players on rookie contracts, at every other position.
The one fly in the ointment is being able to afford everybody. The Lions have several players due for contract extensions in the near future. Aidan Hutchinson and Brian Branch are the best players on that list.
Making the move to acquire Hendrickson may mean letting one of those players, likely Branch, walk in free agency a few years down the road. Ultimately, this move could work out for the Lions in 2025. But it may cause the franchise some pain in future seasons.
