Pass-rusher Aidan Hutchinson recently campaigned for his Detroit Lions to pair him up with Cleveland Browns wantaway defensive superstar Myles Garrett.
While speaking with reporters at the NFL combine on Tuesday, Lions general manager Brad Holmes delivered some bad news for Hutchinson.
Per Kevin Patra of the NFL’s website, Holmes acknowledged that he “probably” won’t look to acquire a proven star pass-rusher this offseason.
“It’s hard. There’s not a lot of those guys available,” Holmes explained. “…Those guys are hard to find, you know? That’s why it’s called a premium position. Those guys are hard to acquire, and it’s hard to keep them financially, you know?”
Garrett technically isn’t available regardless of how much he wants to join a Super Bowl contender this offseason. He is under contract through the 2026 campaign via a deal that does not include a no-trade clause, and Browns general manager Andrew Berry made it quite clear during his Tuesday media availability that he has no “interest in trading Myles” anytime soon.
Hutchinson suffered a gruesome leg injury this past fall, but he nevertheless could receive a contract extension from the Lions before the 2025 campaign gets underway. Meanwhile, many believe either the Browns or a different team will make Garrett the league’s highest-paid defensive player before he plays the next meaningful snap of his career.
“We have one that’s due for an extension, and we’ve already kind of gotten to the planning stages about him already,” Holmes added. “So when you talk about adding another one, it’s like, well, alright, can you financially add another one? Because you want to add the other one on top of everything else that you have, and that makes it tough.”
“We have one that’s due for an extension, and we’ve already kind of gotten to the planning stages about him already,” Holmes added. “So when you talk about adding another one, it’s like, well, alright, can you financially add another one? Because you want to add the other one on top of everything else that you have, and that makes it tough.”
While some believe the Browns should sell Garrett to the highest bidder before the 2025 draft gets underway on April 24, team reporters have suggested Berry is willing to play “hardball” and hold onto the 29-year-old through the summer. Even if Holmes wanted to complete a blockbuster trade for Garrett, there’s no indication Berry is having second thoughts about Cleveland holding onto the player in its attempt to make a second trip to the playoffs in three years.
