The Green Bay Packers entered the 2025 NFL season with Super Bowl aspirations, and they traded for Micah Parsons as a way to put their money where their mouth is. After a tremendous start to the year, however, they suffered an embarrassing loss and an unsatisfying tie before the bye week.
Although the Packers are still right in the thick of the NFC playoff race, they gave up control of the NFC North in recent weeks. The Detroit Lions now sit atop the division at 4-1, with that lone loss being a lopsided beatdown at the hands of Green Bay on opening weekend.
With a relatively favorable schedule ahead, the Packers have a chance to make up some ground as the trade deadline approaches. Unfortunately, the Lions are being linked to a star edge rusher who would be nightmare fuel for Green Bay fans.
Packers fans would hate Lions trading for Trey Hendrickson
In this week's edition of NFL Spin Zone's trade block, Sayre Bedinger included Cincinnati Bengals star defensive end Trey Hendrickson as a potential candidate. This makes sense, given his intense dispute with the Cincinnati front office this offseason and the Bengals' dwindling record without Joe Burrow.
"The next month of the season will determine what course the Bengals take with Trey Hendrickson," Bedinger wrote. "If the season is lost for the Bengals, nobody on their roster makes more sense to be traded than Hendrickson. The star pass rusher is past the age of 30 and is a free agent after this season. The Bengals could get better value from an in-season trade than via compensatory pick, and teams would be lined up to make an offer if he's made available."
Here's the kicker: the Lions were included as a possible landing spot for the star defender. Of course, teams would be lining up for the league's back-to-back leader in sacks, but his landing with an NFC team, especially the Lions, would be quite disastrous for Green Bay.
RELATED: Romeo Doubs rumors could quietly cost Packers their next breakout WR
Hendrickson is enough to handle for an offensive line by himself, but when paired with another stud like Aidan Hutchinson, this could give the Packers nightmares. Green Bay has its own formidable duo of Parsons and Rashan Gary, but this trade would level the playing field for Detroit.
The Lions thrived last season even without Hutchinson, and with a skeleton crew on defense, so Dan Campbell and Co. getting another certified star would be worrisome. According to Spotrac, Detroit has the salary cap flexibility to make a move, and as projected contenders, they could be buyers at the trade deadline.
Although they've been on a bit of a rough patch the last few weeks, this Packers team is as good a team the fan base has seen in many years. That shouldn't be undone by an NFC North foe trading for another difference-maker, but hopefully, fans in Green Bay never have to find out.