The Detroit Lions found a budding star in edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson, but have struggled last season to find a consistent pass rush outside the second-year standout.
That could change this offseason, with the Lions being named a top potential landing spot for Kansas City Chiefs defensive end Chris Jones as he heads to free agency. After signing an $80-million contract in 2020, Jones returned to the Chiefs last season on a one-year deal and helped lead them to a second straight Super Bowl title.
Bleacher Report’s Alex Kay suggested that Jones could head to Detroit next season — if the Lions are willing to match his enormous expected asking price.
Chris Jones the Final Piece in Detroit
Kay noted that the Lions fell just short of reaching the Super Bowl, squandering a 17-point lead to the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship game. The game exposed the team’s defensive deficiencies, which Kay said the “superstar” Jones could help address.
“While his services will be pricy, there is no question that Jones would have a tremendous impact on Detroit’s ability to both get after opposing quarterbacks and shut down the run,” Kay wrote. “The five-time Pro Bowler would make an especially excellent partner for 2022’s No. 2 overall pick Aidan Hutchinson, who has started his career red-hot with 21 sacks over his first two seasons.”
The Lions aimed to make some big additions to their secondary last offseason, signing safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson and cornerback Emmanuel Moseley before watching both go down to long-term injuries. Kay noted that the Lions still made strides in shoring up their defense, but still finished in the bottom half of the league for both total and scoring defense.
Adding Jones would give a significant boost to their pass rush, but would also be very expensive, Kay wrote.
