2026 NFL free agency preview: Lions enter another offseason facing edge rushing concerns opposite Hutchinson
The NFL’s negotiating window for pending free agents opens on March 9, and players will be eligible to sign with new teams on March 11 at 4 p.m.
Ahead of those dates, we’ll preview each position, looking at the top options expected to hit the market, the Detroit Lions’ pending free agents, plus three outside players who could be fits.
Today, we’ll be looking at the edge defenders.
Quick overview
It’s not a secret that Detroit has one of the league’s premier pass rushers in Aidan Hutchinson. Locked up for the foreseeable future after signing a four-year extension last October, he provided a career-high 14.5 sacks in 2025, while pacing the league with 100 total quarterback pressures.
Detroit even managed to stumble upon a suitable running mate last season. Re-signing Al-Quadin Muhammad to a modest one-year deal worth a little more than veteran minimum, he produced 11.0 sacks, 53 pressures and a 15.4% pass-rush win rate. All of those figures ranked top 20 among edges.
However, the Lions are set to spin the wheel for Hutchinson’s running mate once again with Muhammad heading back to free agency and in line for a raise.
Will the team be able to commit significant resources to the need or continue to plug it with modestly priced options until the draft board falls in a way that allows them to address the need with more of a long-term fit?
Top players available
Trey Hendrickson
For the past couple of years, many Lions fans have implored the franchise to make a move for the productive Bengals defender, particularly when he was expressing frustrations with his contract.
Now, Hendrickson hits the open market, at the age of 31, coming off a down year where he was plagued by a hip injury that required core muscle surgery.
As he slides out of his prime, it raises questions about his production ceiling going forward. Someone will likely pony up big bucks to figure it out, but don’t expect it to be Detroit.