The Detroit Lions faced a significant setback during their biggest win of the season when star defensive end Aidan Hutchinson suffered a broken leg in a dominating victory against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 6. He was immediately taken to a Dallas hospital for emergency surgery and will be out for the rest of the 2024 season.
Despite missing the NFL’s current sack leader (6.5), the Lions remain one of the league’s strongest teams. However, finding a suitable replacement for Hutchinson’s impact won’t be easy, if not impossible. One potential solution could be trading with the New York Jets for edge rusher Haason Reddick.
Bleacher Report’s NFL Scouting Department proposed this deal as an “add now” strategy for Detroit ahead of their Week 7 matchup against the undefeated Minnesota Vikings.
“This was suggested even before Hutchinson’s injury, as the Lions could have used another edge rusher. Now that their top defensive end is out for the season, acquiring Reddick makes even more sense,” B/R noted on October 14. Reddick, a former Eagle now with the Jets, is looking for a new contract, and Detroit has nearly $30 million in cap space to accommodate a deal, according to Over The Cap.
He is in the final year of a three-year, $45 million contract and is currently in a holdout as he seeks an extension. Recently, CAA dropped Reddick as a client, but ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that he has hired prominent agent Drew Rosenhaus to handle negotiations with the Jets.
With the NFL trade deadline set for November 5, there may be movement on trade discussions if Reddick and the Jets cannot finalize a new contract—making the Lions a logical option for a trade. At 30 years old, Reddick has recorded at least 11 sacks in each of the last four seasons, totaling 58 career sacks, and has earned Pro Bowl selections in the past two years.
