Lions GM reveals if he explored trading for Trey Lance

Detroit Lions general manager Brad Holmes said Friday he never made a move to acquire current Dallas Cowboys quarterback Trey Lance ahead of the upcoming season. 

"The Trey Lance thing, in particular, I never reached out," Holmes told reporters, as shared by Benjamin Raven of MLive. "I never inquired about the player or anything, so in terms -- I think the report was us and some other teams were like in the group of being 'interested.' But I never, I never actively pursued the player. So, I can’t speak to the accuracy of those reports."

Specifically, senior NFL insider Dianna Russini of The Athletic reported last week that the Lions "showed interest, per sources" in Lance after the San Francisco 49ers relegated the 2021 first-round draft pick to third on the depth chart beneath starter Brock Purdy and primary backup Sam Darnold. San Francisco ultimately shipped Lance to Dallas for a 2024 fourth-round pick. 

"But again, we’re always going to look to upgrade the roster at any point," Holmes continued. "But if it’s like something that’s something that’s real active, and we reached out ... We did not do that (with Lance)."

Current Lions starting quarterback Jared Goff remains signed only through the 2024 campaign, but both Holmes and head coach Dan Campbell have indicated they'd like to lock Goff down via an extension. 

Free-agency signing Teddy Bridgewater is set to serve as Detroit's QB2 for the regular-season opener at the reigning Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs next Thursday night, and the Lions also have rookie Hendon Hooker learning about life in the NFL as an inactive participant. 

Hooker is recovering from the torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee he suffered this past November and is expected to take a redshirt season. 

"I feel really good about our quarterback room now, at this point," Holmes added. His lack of interest in Lance suggests he told the truth ahead of the holiday weekend.