By Moses Joshua 
After a season derailed by risky bets and bad luck, Detroit finally has a clear path to fixing its most glaring weakness — the pass rush.
The Detroit Lions entered 2025 with championship expectations and left it with more questions than answers. While offensive regression grabbed most of the headlines, the real story might be what didn’t happen on defense — specifically, the lack of reliable help for Aidan Hutchinson.
Detroit gambled. It trusted Marcus Davenport to stay healthy. It hoped a late-round rookie could develop quickly. Neither bet paid off. Even with Al-Quadin Muhammad emerging as a pleasant surprise, Hutchinson spent far too many Sundays carrying the pressure load alone.
That can’t be the plan again.
If the Lions want their defense under Kelvin Sheppard to survive deep into January in 2026, they must give Hutchinson a partner. Here are three free-agent pass rushers who could finally provide it.
The Star Swing: Trey Hendrickson
For over a year, Lions fans have whispered the same name: Trey Hendrickson.
The Bengals star has been one of the NFL’s most consistent disruptors, even if his market value has been muted by Cincinnati’s financial hesitation. His 2025 season was cut short by a hip and pelvis injury, limiting him to four sacks — a dramatic dip from his usual production. But context matters. He was playing through real pain, and the film still shows the same burst when healthy.
At 31, Hendrickson won’t command quite the same premium he once did. Spotrac still projects a hefty annual figure, but Detroit’s urgency should override sticker shock. This is the kind of move that changes games, not just depth charts.
Pairing Hendrickson with Hutchinson wouldn’t just add sacks — it would force offenses to pick their poison.
The Smart Pivot: Joseph Ossai
If Hendrickson proves too expensive, the Bengals offer another intriguing solution.
Joseph Ossai quietly put together a strong season in 2025, recording 43 pressures and five sacks on limited snaps. He wasn’t flashy, but he was disruptive — and at just 26 years old, he’s entering the prime window of his career.
Ossai fits the Lions’ identity: relentless, physical, and versatile enough to move along the line. He won’t instantly transform the defense, but he would stabilize it, giving Hutchinson a legitimate counterpart rather than another roll of the dice.
For a team that learned the hard way about counting on “ifs,” Ossai represents certainty.
The Ring Chaser: Joey Bosa
This is the swing-for-the-fences option.
Joey Bosa is no longer the weekly terror he was in his early Chargers days, but his 2025 season with the Bills showed he still has plenty left. He generated steady pressure, forced a league-leading five fumbles, and reminded everyone that his instincts are still elite.
Turning 31 this summer, Bosa is at the stage of his career where championships start to matter more than contracts. That reality could put Detroit in a rare position to land him on a short-term deal, possibly around Spotrac’s projected number.
For the Lions, that’s a perfect marriage: high-impact production without long-term risk.
Why This Matters
Aidan Hutchinson is already a cornerstone. But no defender, no matter how gifted, can win alone.
Detroit learned that lesson in 2025. The solution isn’t more hope — it’s help. Whether it’s the star power of Hendrickson, the upside of Ossai, or the veteran savvy of Bosa, the Lions finally have the opportunity to give their franchise pass rusher the support he deserves.
If Brad Holmes truly wants to reopen the Super Bowl window, this is where the hammer has to fall.