The Detroit Lions lost Aidan Hutchinson to a broken leg mid-season but have managed to stay competitive. They will face the Minnesota Vikings at home in Week 18 to compete for the NFC’s top seed.
That matchup will hold the same significance regardless of the Lions’ result against the San Francisco 49ers on “Monday Night Football” on December 30. Now imagine the Lions’ potential next season if they could pair Hutchinson — already a Pro Bowl defensive end — with one of the league’s rare young edge rushers who might surpass him.
This scenario isn’t far-fetched. Sportsbook Bovada lists Detroit as the most probable landing spot for three-time All-Pro linebacker Micah Parsons if he doesn’t stay with the Dallas Cowboys in 2025.
Detroit (+475) leads Bovada’s odds for Parsons’ next team, behind Dallas (-220). The Kansas City Chiefs (+500) follow closely, with the Pittsburgh Steelers (+600) and Chicago Bears (+650) also in the mix.
Parsons, 25, was the 12th overall pick in 2021 and is in the final season of his four-year, $17.1 million rookie deal. Dallas has exercised his fifth-year option, ensuring Parsons earns $24 million in 2025.
However, Parsons can negotiate an extension in the spring, with a projected market value of $30 million annually over three years. Dallas’ hefty contracts for Dak Prescott (four years, $240 million) and CeeDee Lamb (four years, $136 million) could complicate offering Parsons the deal he desires.
This could lead to a trade, Parsons’ only path to a new team before the season. The Lions and Chiefs are prime candidates since both need elite edge rushers and are actively pursuing Super Bowl success.
The Steelers are a tier below, while the Bears — 18 years removed from their last Super Bowl — aim to reverse years of poor performance.
