With the NFL trade deadline creeping closer, Dan Campbell made it clear the Lions are not sitting still and pretending the market will pass them by.
The Bears’ aggressive move for All-Pro defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons on Thursday, Oct. 29, came one day after a pair of other NFC contenders struck first. On Tuesday, the Seattle Seahawks landed Pro Bowl guard Quenton Nelson and the San Francisco 49ers picked up defensive tackle DeForest Buckner, both from the Indianapolis Colts. It has been a busy stretch for teams chasing the top of the conference, and Campbell said Detroit is still very much in the mix as it evaluates what might make sense.
"Well, first of all, Brad looks at everything," Campbell said of general manager Brad Holmes. "I mean, he's nonstop.
He and [assistant GM] Ray [Agnew] and those guys, [vice president of roster operations] Rob Lohman, the whole crew. It's been a daily ongoing.
This has never stopped."
That fits Holmes’ track record. The Lions have been active around the deadline before, with Holmes making deals for defensive end Za'Darius Smith in 2024 and receiver Donovan Peoples-Jones in 2023.
He also shipped tight end T.J. Hockenson to the Vikings in 2022.
Campbell said Detroit even made a push for cornerback Joey Porter Jr. before he was moved to the Dallas Cowboys earlier this month.
"This thing is continuing to go," Campbell said Friday.
The deadline lands Tuesday, Nov. 10, just two days before the Lions head to Germany for their game against the New England Patriots. Campbell said that travel schedule won’t stand in the way if Detroit decides to act.
"If it is, you can't let it affect you," he said. "You’ve got to get something done if you're going to do it or otherwise you don't. But Germany's not going to affect that."
The timing matters because the NFC picture is tightening fast. The 49ers sit atop the NFC West at 6-1, two games ahead of the defending NFC-champion Seahawks.
The Bears are 5-2 and in wild card position, a half-game ahead of the Lions for second place in the NFC North. Minnesota, Detroit’s opponent this week, leads the division and remains the only unbeaten team left in the NFL.
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Lions Suddenly Have A Tougher Cornerback Decision Than Expected
The Lions have gotten healthier in the secondary with Brian Branch and Kerby Joseph back in the mix, but the cornerback picture still looks unsettled enough to keep the front office on alert. Ennis Rakestraw Jr. has quietly given Detroit something to think about, showing encouraging coverage results while the defense as a whole continues to search for more consistency against the pass.
DJ Reeds numbers have been part of that concern, and the combination of uneven play and lingering questions at corner has made this a more complicated decision than the Lions probably expected a few weeks ago. With the trade deadline approaching, Detroit has reason to keep looking at outside help even as it tries to sort out how much trust to place in the corners already on the roster. [Read more 🡒]
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For the Lions, the challenge is less about abandoning the run than making it work early enough to shape the rest of the game. Better blocking up front would help Detroit stay on schedule, force the Vikings to respect the line of scrimmage and create cleaner looks for the passing attack. If the run game gets bottled up again, the Lions could find themselves asking their offense to win in the most difficult way against a defense built to make that uncomfortable. [Read more 🡒]
Lions Are Juggling Two Injury Timelines That Could Matter Soon
Dan Campbell spent part of his latest injury update sorting through a few different timelines, and for Detroit that kind of news matters as the season tightens. Brian Branch is back without limitations after his Achilles injury, which is a welcome sign for a secondary that has had to manage its depth carefully, while Thomas Harper continues to work back from an ankle issue and could be in line to return in the coming weeks.
The more immediate watch is Kerby Joseph, who has been limited in practice because of a left knee injury. Campbell said the safety is expected to do much more next week, which at least gives the Lions a clearer sense of where his recovery stands as they try to keep the back end steady. Another injured player, Isiah Pacheco, is also moving in the right direction after back surgery, with a late-December return still in play. [Read more 🡒]