With some key offseason signings, the Detroit Lions have built a squad capable of going deep into the playoffs of the 2026 season. However, due to injuries surrounding stars like Kerby Joseph and Brian, coupled with the departure of Terrion Arnold, there are still question marks on Dan Campbell’s defense at the moment.
In an injury-riddled last season, defense was one of the headaches of the franchise, putting a heavy workload on the star pass rusher Aidan Hutchinson. Despite his valiant efforts, the Lions defense allowed an average of 331.9 yards per game, ranking 18th among all NFL teams. With that concern behind them, the Lions were recently urged by ESPN analyst Mike Tannenbaum, who was also a general manager of the New York Jets (2006-2012), to go for an elite pass rusher like Maxx Crosby.
“To me, this is a no-brainer. You’re in a win-now mode with pressure; go give up two second-round picks if you’re the Detroit Lions, and go get Maxx Crosby,” Tannenbaum said on a recent episode of ESPN’s Get Up. “Look, Kerby Joseph isn’t healthy, Brian Branch isn’t healthy, understandably, they cut Terrion Arnold. You wanna cover up some questions in the secondary. Put Aidan Hutchinson in one side, and Maxx Crosby on the other.”
This Trade Could Be a Sign of the Lions’ Win-Now Approach
Given his extensive experience as an NFL general manager, Mike Tannenbaum is no stranger to making big trade moves. He outlined that having two elite pass rushers like Maxx Crosby and Aidan Hutchinson on both edges could make up for weakness elsewhere in the Lions’ secondary. With injuries and major changes in the defense, the dangerous pair could be highly effective, creating major problems for their rival teams.
Maxx Crosby
Moreover, the Lions already have a talented and young roster, and giving up two second-round draft picks to bring a premium defensive end like Crosby could make them a Super Bowl favorite, showing the ‘win now’ mentality—an approach the Los Angeles Rams GM Les Snead has shown in recent years. Even this offseason, they added the NFL Defensive Player of the Year, Myles Garrett, in a blockbuster trade, becoming a clear favorite to lift the Lombardi Trophy.
Crosby has 104 starts and five Pro Bowl selections to his resume, with all of them coming in the last five seasons, which shows the impressive consistency he has maintained for half a decade. He has 69.5 career sacks and 439 total tackles. While the Las Vegas Raiders star could be a key difference-maker for Dan Campbell, there are realistic hurdles for Brad Holmes.
Financial Concerns Could Stand in the Way of Crosby-Hutchinson Pairing
While the pairing of Crosby and Hutchinson could be highly promising, the proposed trade may not work due to the big financial burden. The Raiders star’s current contract value is $ 106.5 million. His 2026 cap hit is set to be $35.7 million.
On the other hand, the Lions recently made Jahmyr Gibbs the highest-paid running back in the league, while they also signed high-value extensions of players Jack Campbell and Jameson Williams not too long ago. Given the size of the five-time Pro Bowler’s current contract and the cap hit for this season, the Lions adding another big-money addition to the squad seems not feasible.
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