As the trade deadline approached last year, there was some discussion about the Detroit Lions potentially pursuing Myles Garrett, especially after his trade request surfaced during Super Bowl week. While it would be a great move for Lions general manager Brad Holmes to explore trade talks for Garrett, it’s important to acknowledge that acquiring him remains a long shot. The cost of such a deal would likely be high, and the Cleveland Browns would need to reconsider their stance on trading him.
With that in mind, it’s better to focus on more realistic trade targets for Detroit in their quest to find a reliable edge rusher to complement Aidan Hutchinson. While Garrett might be out of reach, here are five edge rushers who could be more attainable.
- Bradley Chubb, Miami Dolphins
Bradley Chubb was sidelined for the 2024 season after suffering a severe knee injury in late 2023, which involved a torn ACL, meniscus, and patellar tendon. Although the Dolphins were clinging to a slim playoff chance when his 21-day activation window closed, head coach Mike McDaniel dismissed the notion that this affected Chubb’s return. Chubb had the most productive season of his career in 2023, tallying 11 sacks, 73 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, six forced fumbles, and 70 quarterback pressures. His numbers in 2022 were also impressive, although they were split between the Denver Broncos and the Dolphins following a trade.
With three years remaining on his contract, Chubb’s guaranteed salary for 2025 is just $10 million, and only injury guarantees are in place for the remainder of his deal (according to Spotrac). The Dolphins anticipate his return to the field, but it’s possible they might consider moving on from him to open up room for other edge rusher options. Trading or releasing Chubb before June 1 would not provide Miami with significant cap space, but it would clear a substantial amount of dead money. As such, he could be a relatively affordable option for the Lions in a trade.
