The Detroit Lions have one week left to snag a much-needed edge rusher before the Nov. 5 NFL trade deadline passes. Rest assured, general manager Brad Holmes is working the phones plenty and will eventually get something done.
Detroit has legitimate Super Bowl aspirations this season, but their hopes of finally landing a Lombardi Trophy took a serious hit after both Aidan Hutchinson and Marcus Davenport were lost for the season.
Ideally, the Lions land themselves an elite pass-rusher to help their cause, but as we have seen, guys like Maxx Crosby and Myles Garrett are highly unlikely to be available.
But there is another potential option to fill the Lions' void in a big way. That comes in the form of Cincinnati Bengals edge rusher Trey Hendrickson, who was recently suggested as a good fit for Detroit by Kevin Patra of NFL.com.
"If Raiders star pass-rusher Maxx Crosby is truly off the table, the Lions should chase Hendrickson," Patra wrote. "Detroit presumably has institutional knowledge of the player, given that head coach Dan Campbell and defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn were both part of the staff in New Orleans during Hendrickson's time with the Saints (2017-2020). He plays with the type of motor Campbell loves and would fit in the locker room. With seven sacks and 36 QB pressures so far this season, Hendrickson has continued to be a weapon on the edge."
Just in case you aren't familiar, Hendrickson is one of the best pass-rushers in the NFL. From 2020 through eight games this season, Hendrickson has 60 sacks over 71 contests in that span. He has three campaigns with double-digit sacks, including a high of 17.5 in 2023, and he has seven sacks so far this season.
There aren't many players on this planet who can match what Hutchinson is capable of doing, but Hendrickson is one of them.
While it goes without saying the Lions should absolutely trade for Hendrickson no matter the cost if he's available, we don't know if the Bengals are willing to deal him — but it's not crazy to think they could.
At 3-5, the Bengals have struggled mightily this season and their playoff hopes are in trouble. Also, Hendrickson had requested to be traded during the offseason after the two sides failed to get a long-term extension done.
Hendrickson initially signed a four-year, $60 million deal with the Bengals in free agency in 2021, and the Bengals gave him a one-year, $21 million extension last year to keep him with the team through 2025.
It's clear there is at least some reluctance on the part of the Bengals to extend him further, and if Cincinnati doesn't think it can compete the rest of the way and wants to avoid a potential standoff with Hendrickson in 2025, he could be traded.
Again, it would cost quite the haul to get Hendrickson, but he'd be a huge upgrade and would instantly boost Detroit's Super Bowl hopes. Also, he could be a multi-year solution thanks to his being under contract in 2025, which means the Lions can pair him with Hutchinson for at least one season.
