Trey Hendrickson, the NFL sack leader in 2024, is the latest big name available in the defensive line market, less than a week before NFL free agency.
It remains to be seen how the Detroit Lions will address the position this offseason, but there are options on the table, whether it is an established NFL player or in the deep draft class.
The Cincinnati Bengals have allowed Hendrickson, their star pass rusher who has recorded 17½ sacks for two straight seasons, to seek a trade according to multiple reports.
The Los Angeles Chargers also released defensive end Joey Bosa, a five-time Pro Bowler in nine seasons, to get out of the final year of his contract, where he was owed $36 million, saving the team more than $25 million.
Let’s look at each player to see if they would fit with the pass rush-starved Lions.
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Trey Hendrickson trade
Hendrickson, a first-team All-Pro who finished second in 2024 Defensive Player of the Year voting, has spent the past four years of his career with the Bengals, where he earned Pro Bowl honors each season. He had 36 quarterback hits and 19 tackles for loss to go with his 17½ sacks in 2024.
Hendrickson, 30, has one year remaining on his deal with the Bengals with a cap hit of $18.66 million according to Spotrac, and is reportedly seeking a deal that will pay him at the top of the defensive end market, which got reset on Wednesday by the Las Vegas Raiders’ Maxx Crosby, who signed a deal worth $35.5 million a year.
The Lions have their own mega contract on the horizon for a defensive end — Aidan Hutchinson, who led the team with 7½ sacks despite appearing in only five games.
At the NFL combine last week, Lions general manager Brad Holmes said it is unlikely they will swing a trade for another star defensive end because of the money they will have to commit to Hutchinson and other young pieces of Detroit’s core, including players like All-Pro safety Kerby Joseph.
But the Lions have a significant connection to Hendrickson: Lions head coach Dan Campbell was on the New Orleans Saints staff for four seasons with Hendrickson, after the Saints drafted him in the third round in 2017.
THE MARKET: No Maxx Crosby, but Detroit Lions have options to upgrade DL
Jose Bosa free agency
Bosa should come at a lower price tag due to his injury concerns, which have kept him from starting double-digit games the past three seasons. Last year, Holmes targeted another oft-injured defensive end, Marcus Davenport, on a cheap deal, which ultimately did not work out after Davenport went down with a season-ending triceps injury in Week 3.
Bosa has struggled to stay on the field but finished as a Pro Bowl alternate in 2025 after racking up five sacks and five tackles for loss in 14 games for the Chargers, both of which were career lows in seasons where he had at least five games played. His opposite partner on the Chargers’ defensive line, Khalil Mack, is also set to become a free agent.
According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapaport, the San Francisco 49ers, where his brother Nick plays, are one of the main options to sign Bosa.
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