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Prior to suffering an unfortunate broken leg in early October, Detroit Lions defensive end Aidan Hutchinson was having a season that would have put him at the top of the conversation for NFL Defensive Player of the Year. Hutchinson was dominating opposing offensive tackles and looked like a breakout superstar after a very good first two seasons in the league.
Meanwhile, Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett continued to be one of the best defensive players in all of football. Now, he’s requested a trade, and the two of them have talked about teaming up to form one of the better pass-rushing duos of all-time.
Garrett, 29, is headed to the Hall of Fame when his career is all said and done. The six-time All-Pro selection has been one of the very best players in the NFL since he entered the league as the first-overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft. Not only is he a ferociuos pass-rusher, but he’s stout against the run, too. He’s got a chance to be mentioned among the handful of the very best players in league history.
But, as he approaches his 30th birthday, he wants to win, and it seems unlikely that’s coming with the Browns given their mess at the quarterback situation. He asked for a trade recently, though the Browns have said they aren’t going to trade him. Many are skeptical of that, as it makes sense to move him and get a huge haul in draft capital in return for an aging player that doesn’t want to be there.
The Lions make a lot of sense in terms of teams who should make that kind of move. The roster has very few holes, and essentially no holes at premium positions other than a second defensive end to pair with Hutchinson. And, their Super Bowl window is now. Going all-in makes sense.
Aidan Hutchinson thinks so, and he and Garrett have spoken about teaming up. Here’s Pro Football Talk with more.
Lions star Aidan Hutchinson was a guest on The Squeeze podcast and he was asked about any offseason moves that he thinks the Lions should make. Hutchinson said that he and Garrett were both at the NFL Honors show ahead of the Super Bowl and had a chance to chat about forming a “deadly” combination.
“We were just talking about what could be,” Hutchinson said. “And, although it’s probably unlikely, I would be thrilled to play next to him if it were to happen. Our whole D-Line would be just totally elevated. That would be a scary defensive line. And we get along, too. I’ve seen him these last few years at different things. He texted me after I got hurt, which, I don’t know, it was just a cool thing. Like guys outside of your own team who reach out to you. So I think he’s a good dude. If he does, great, but I don’t know. We’ll see. But that would be awesome.”
The Philadelphia Eagles are loaded. But, a move for Myles Garrett would give the Lions the best roster in football, and it may not be close.