Aidan Hutchinson needs help.
This has been a narrative floating around since the Detroit Lions' season was cut seemingly short by the Washington Commanders in the postseason, who steamrolled them in the NFC Divisional round to advance to the championship game against the Philadelphia Eagles. Their defense was so hurt down the stretch, including Hutchinson, that it was just impossible to keep up their prowess on that side of the football in the postseason.
Hutchinson, who is expected to return to the Lions to start Week 1 after breaking his leg early in the 2024 season, will be coming back to a line that hasn't exactly been reinforced this offseason. The team drafted a potential sleeper in Ahmad Hassanein for that purpose, but it remains to be seen if he'll be up to speed enough to start with Hutchinson to start the year.
The team also isn't in on Trey Hendrickson, the only other potential option for them on the market at pass rusher.
Before Detroit seemed to be completely out of options, though, a new candidate has suddenly emerged thanks to the Carolina Panthers - Jadeveon Clowney.
Clowney being cut presents perfect pairing opportunity for Lions
Clowney, a 32 year old veteran and formerly formidable pass rusher, was released by the Panthers after the team wasn't able to trade him this offseason. He had 5.5 sacks, four passes defended, eight stuff yards, and 46 total tackles in 2024, and he's just two seasons removed from a solid 9.5 sack season with the Baltimore Ravens back in 2023.
Clowney would be a similar addition to ZaDarius Smith for the Lions. An older but still reliable pass rusher who could take some pressure off of Hutchinson would be a great type of player to add to this line, especially if the team can't come to new terms with Smith ahead of the 2025 season.
Right now, according to Over the Cap, Detroit has just over $39 million in effective cap space. They should be frontrunners to land Clowney if they're intrigued by the possibility of adding him to their defensive front. If the Lions aren't fully convinced by their current plan - hoping Hassanein develops quickly and starts sooner than expected - then Clowney should be their main target.
