INDIANAPOLIS -- Detroit Lions general manager Brad Holmes doesn't sound like he is preparing to go big-game hunting this offseason.
The Lions might be linked to star pass rushers entering the market via trade or free agency, but asked point-blank on Tuesday at the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine if he could add another star pass rusher, the GM responded, "Probably not."
The answer came on the heels of Holmes laying out how difficult it is to find dynamic edge rushers, like the one Detroit lost mid-season with Aidan Hutchinson's fractured leg.
"It's hard. There's not a lot of those guys available," Holmes said. "And so just because we lost a star pass rusher due to injury, that doesn't mean that other teams are going to say, 'Hey, we have a star pass rusher. I know you lost one, but we have one. Would you like to have this one?'
"No, that's a star pass rush for that team, and they're trying to win games. So, and it's not just a trade deadline, it's, you know, free agency, during the year. 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. Again, we have one that's due for an extension, and we've already kind of gotten to the planning stages about him already. 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."
Hutchinson is eligible for an extension entering the fourth year of his rookie contract. Holmes has gotten ahead of deals during his tenure in Detroit, so even with Hutchinson coming off an injury, a deal could still come down this offseason. If the Lions will potentially reset the edge rusher market, doing so sooner rather than later is prudent.
Detroit's defense withered last season after a rash of injuries, including losing Hutchinson and Alim McNeill to season-ending injuries. Holmes noted that the trove of players Detroit expects to return is part of the calculus. However, what if their studs aren't fully back one year after severe injuries? Would the Lions risk squandering their championship window by not making a big splash this offseason?
Holmes doesn't seem worried about that possibility. Detroit plans to continue building with homegrown talent. The GM mentioned that they have a host of young draft picks coming down the pike they'd like to retain.
"You got a Kerby Joseph that was a third (round pick), you know what I mean?" Holmes said while discussing all the recent high picks. "So that stuff starts adding up, and you gotta make some tough decisions. We've already started a lot of that work already in terms of the preparation and planning."
Unless Holmes is playing an excellent game of poker, that planning won't include another premium veteran pass rusher this offseason. Instead, the Lions seem poised to use their cap space to ensure their foundation doesn't erode down the line.
