Someone reset the counter: it’s officially been ‘0’ days since a national writer has mocked up a trade where the Detroit Lions acquire an edge rusher.
A deal in the range of three years, $90 million, could be enough to keep him in Detroit, according to Bengals beat writer Ben Baby.
Why the Trade Makes Sense for the Bengals From the Bengals’ perspective, the proposed trade offers solid long-term value.
“Let’s say the Lions give Hendrickson a three-year deal worth $90 million.
Should the Lions Trade for Trey Hendrickson?
The clock has officially been reset: ‘0’ days have passed since a national writer made fun of a trade in which the Detroit Lions would acquire an edge rusher.
In a recent ESPN piece, NFL writer Ben Solak suggested that the Lions sign Pro Bowl edge rusher Trey Hendrickson from the Cincinnati Bengals in an attempt to complete Detroit’s pass rush and take advantage of their tournament window.
Specifics of the proposed trade.
The Lions get a 2026 fifth-round pick in Trey Hendrickson.
2026 second-round pick and 2027 fourth-round pick (conditional; may be a third-round pick) are given to the Bengals.
A player of Hendrickson’s caliber next to Aidan Hutchinson could make Lions general manager Brad Holmes reconsider, according to Solak, even though Holmes “has acknowledged the fan base wants a secondary edge rusher far more than he does.”.
“The Lions may not prioritize Hendrickson as a run defender,” Solak observes, “but a pass-rush combination of Hendrickson and Aidan Hutchinson could be the most formidable in the NFL.”. “.”.
With 43 points and zero sacks in his last three seasons, Hendrickson would undoubtedly improve Detroit’s pass rush right away. The Lions have ample salary cap space to offer Hendrickson an extension, which the veteran has been very vocal about during the last two offseasons, according to Solak. Bengals beat writer Ben Baby believes a three-year, $90 million contract might be sufficient to keep him in Detroit.
The Bengals’ Reasons for Making the Trade.
The Bengals believe that the proposed trade has good long-term value. Solak’s proposal was hailed by Baby as a “very good” deal for Cincinnati.
If the Lions offer Hendrickson a three-year contract worth $90 million, that is one scenario. “It is less than what the Texans gave Danielle Hunter. If Hendrickson keeps up his All-Pro form, that would be a great deal for Detroit,” Baby stated when discussing the terms of a potential extension.
The fact that Hendrickson was traded to an NFC team like Detroit also prevented the strengthening of a possible AFC playoff rival, and Cincinnati would have more roster flexibility with the future draft selections as they try to assemble a team around Tee Higgins, Ja’Marr Chase, and Joe Burrow—all of whom have huge contracts through 2028.
Trey Hendrickson: Should the Lions make a trade for him?
Even though this is not the first time an All-Pro edge rusher and Hutchinson have been paired, Hendrickson’s advanced age and well-known contract dispute give this rumor more traction than the Myles Garrett and Maxx Crosby rumors of the past. However, there is undoubtedly a significant opportunity cost to this trade because Detroit still needs to work out agreements with more of their own players.
Pride of Detroit writer Al Karsten explained the chain of events that would follow if the Lions made such a move and why he didn’t think the team would spend that much draft capital on Hendrickson.
Lions supporters, we’ll pose the question to you.
