The NFL trade deadline is next Tuesday on November 4 at 4 p.m. ET, and while the Detroit Lions are always looking to be better—especially with Super Bowl hopes as high as ever—this may not be the year Detroit makes a big move. According to Lions coach Dan Campbell, the team is always keeping their eye open, but he’s not really expecting a move before the deadline.
“I don’t, but that doesn’t mean we won’t,” Campbell said.
The Lions coach admitted that general manager Brad Holmes often doesn’t involve
him in the discussions until he finds a player that fits in terms of his fit, price, and team need—that way Campbell can focus on the roster he currently has. And whiles Holmes has even brought up a few names this year, ultimately Campbell said he feels pretty comfortable with where the roster is currently at.
“He’s brought up a couple things already,” Campbell said of Holmes. “But there again, I’m so focused on the here and now, and the roster we have in place—getting these guys ready to go. I love where we’re at. I think the roster is—I think it’s healthy, I think it’s in a good position, I think we have depth, but like I say, he’s always looking to improve the roster. That’s one of his jobs and he does a hell of a job at it.”
In the past couple years, the Lions have used the deadline to add a few necessary pieces. They added pass rusher Za’Darius Smith last year and receiver Donovan Peoples-Jones the year before.
But this year, Detroit’s lack of interest in the trade deadline could be related to their salary cap situation. While the team has the fourth-highest amount of cap space this year ($29.3 million) according to the NFLPA public salary cap report, they are currently projected to be over the salary cap in 2026. They are very likely to be trying to roll over as much salary cap as possible for 2026.
Regardless, Campbell believes that the personnel side of the team is doing everything they possibly can to upgrade the roster.
“The amount of time spent and players that are looked at between he (Holmes) and (assistant GM) Ray (Agnew) and that staff is… you’d be shocked at the hours that goes in,” Campbell said. “They’re doing the leg work, and if there’s somebody that he thinks is intriguing, he thinks the price could be right, it’s somebody maybe he fits us, it could be a need, then it comes to me.”