Tom Brady greets Kelvin Sheppard ahead of Lions-Vikings game
Former Michigan football quarterback and Fox sports announcer Tom Brady greets Detroit Lions defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard ahead of the Lions game at Ford Field on Sunday, Nov. 2, 2025.
The Detroit Lions might have a bigger list of roster needs than originally thought.
Ahead of the 2025 NFL trade deadline on Tuesday, Nov. 4, Lions coach Dan Campbell said he wasn’t anticipating his team to make many moves, if any at all, to acquire players and bolster the roster. But that was before the Lions’ latest showing.
In one of the most disappointing results of the season, the Lions lost 27-24 to the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday, Nov. 2. They exposed significant depth issues to the roster in the process, with multiple key offensive linemen going down with injuries and an ongoing need for starting-caliber defensive backs with injuries to starting cornerback D.J. Reed and All-Pro safety Kerby Joseph.
The Lions aren’t the only NFL team in need of a roster adjustment, however, and it’s unclear how hard the Lions will pursue trades ahead of the deadline.
Follow here for Lions trade deadline updates and key NFL deals that affect the market.
After trading edge rusher Jaelan Phillips to the Philadelphia Eagles, the Miami Dolphins have made three-time Pro Bowl safety Minkah Fitzpatrick available in trade talks, according to the Miami Herald, with Omar Kelly saying a source says it’s a “50-50 chance” a deal gets done.
Fitzpatrick carries a near-$19 million cap hit for the 2026 season, making him a potentially expensive player to carry on the roster for any team who decides to acquire him. But as a five-time Pro Bowler, he has also been one of the most decorated safeties in the NFL over his eight-year career.
The most prized edge rusher on the market is likely the Cincinnati Bengals‘ Trey Hendrickson, who has recorded 39 sacks over his last three seasons with the Bengals.
According to The Athletic’s Diana Russini, the asking price for Hendrickson is a first-round pick — possibly a reason he hasn’t been moved yet.
The Lions have a first-round pick available in the 2026, 2027 and 2028 drafts, though it’s unclear whether they would part with one of them for a short-term rental like Hendrickson, whose $29 million contract expires after the 2025 season. The Lions have plenty of cap space available.
Evan Neal available for trade
Offensive linemen can be more difficult to acquire around the trade deadline than edge rushers or cornerbacks, but it’s not an impossible task for a Lions team in need of some help on the front line.
Per ESPN’s Jordan Raanan, the New York Giants have made offensive lineman Evan Neal available in trade talks. Neal, the former No. 7 overall pick from Alabama in the 2022 NFL Draft, has started 27 games over four NFL seasons, all with the Giants, and has graded out especially well as a run blocker according to Pro Football Focus. He was active on gameday for the first time in Week 9.
In 2024, Neal played in nine games for the Giants with seven starts at right tackle. At Alabama, he started 13 games at left guard in 2019, 12 at right tackle in 2020 and 15 at left tackle in 2021.
Should the Lions acquire Neal, it could provide some relief for a banged-up offensive line, with both tackles, Taylor Decker and Penei Sewell, nursing injuries, and a hole at left guard.
Jaelan Phillips traded to the Eagles
A top trade target for the Lions is off the board.
The Miami Dolphins early Monday traded edge rusher Jaelan Phillips to the Philadelphia Eagles for a third-round draft pick. Phillips is a five-year pro who has recorded 26 sacks in his career, though injury-plagued seasons have limited him to just four since the beginning of 2024.
Phillips, the No. 18 overall pick in 2021, had been linked to the Lions as an edge rushing candidate to pair with star Aidan Hutchinson, who just received a four-year, $180 million contract extension on Wednesday.
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You can reach Christian at cromo@freepress.com.