Yeah, it’s been a rough stretch. Losing both coordinators and basically your entire starting offensive line in just a few months? That’s brutal. Ever since last year’s humiliating NFC Divisional loss—which we’re absolutely not going to revisit (I truly couldn’t tell you who won)—things haven’t looked great for the Lions.

While other teams in the division seemed to reload or improve, the Lions just kept taking hits, and now they don’t feel like the NFC North favorites they’ve recently been.

But it doesn’t need to end like this. There’s still a way forward. Turns out, all it might take to erase this summer’s negativity is [glances at ESPN’s trade proposal article] a deal for last year’s league leader in sacks. That’s it! Piece of cake. The folks at the worldwide sports leader cooked up a Lions trade package for Bengals pass rusher Trey Hendrickson that demands attention—no matter how badly you want to ignore it. It’s honestly hard to resist.

Bengals receive: 2026 second-round pick, 2027 fourth-round pick (conditional upgrade to a third-rounder)
Lions receive: Hendrickson, 2026 fifth-round pick

“ Lions GM Brad Holmes has said the fan base wants another edge rusher more than he does, but you’d think a talent like Hendrickson might shift that thinking. He’s not exactly the run-stopping type Detroit usually targets, but pairing him with Aidan Hutchinson might give the Lions the league’s most dangerous pass rush.

They’re still real Super Bowl threats, and should act like it with bold trades. Plus, they have enough cap space to extend Hendrickson, which any team trading for him would need to do.”

It’s funny how NFL media has united around one clear demand: the Lions must land a top-tier edge rusher. It was Myles Garrett. Then Maxx Crosby. Now it’s Hendrickson. Just make a move already—literally any move. Who knows if it’ll work, but pulling off a splash trade is the league’s go-to method for saying “We’re going for it.”

And really, what better way to bury this offseason’s bad vibes than by bringing in Hendrickson?