Lions insider drops emphatic verdict on Trey Hendrickson trade dreams

The Detroit Lions' draft came and went, and the team didn't address one of their biggest needs until the sixth round, when the team took Boise State edge rusher Ahmed Hassanein. Hassanein, a former CrossFit competitor out of Egypt, became one of the draft's wild cards at the edge rusher position thanks to his major strength but definite need for refinement as a defender.

He was certainly worth a swing that late in the draft by the Lions, but with him being the only selection for them at such a needed position, it felt just a bit too little, too late. Couple that with no news on the ZaDarius Smith front, and Detroit seems primed to be running it back with a healthy Aidan Hutchinson with no real supporting help.

One potential target this offseason that would've made complete sense for the Lions to try for was Trey Hendrickson of the Cincinnati Bengals. The NFL sack leader in 2024 had requested a trade from the team shortly after the Bengals' season ended, but there's been no transaction just yet.

It also doesn't sound like Detroit would be on the other end of that transaction, according to Lions insider Mike Payton.

Lions insider completely douses any fire around Hendrickson to Lions

In his latest mailbag for A to Z Sports, Payton said that a trade between the Lions and Bengals is with certainty not going down. Hendrickson will not come to form one of the best pass rushing defenses in the NFL, all because the Lions both don't want to take on Hendrickson's contract and because the Bengals haven't been thrilled with any offer they've gotten for him.

"It's over, man. It's just not going to happen. It's partially because the Lions probably don't want to take on a big contract right before they're supposed to go into an offseason that is going to feature a ton of extensions," wrote Payton.

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He also noted in the piece that Hassanein, in his eyes, will end up becoming a starter alongside Hutchinson by Week 5 of the season. That'd be a huge plus for Detroit after this offseason which saw them add only Hassanein to their pass rush.

Health will be the biggest factor for Detroit's defense this season, so it's valid for them to just be relying on that to help support Hutchinson in the long term. Hendrickson certainly isn't coming over, per Payton, so health is all the team can hope for in his stead.

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