The Detroit Lions had a quiet trade deadline, largely holding pat as some of their competitors in the NFC North filled holes in their roster.
Detroit’s approach included passing on a safety that was seen as an “obvious” addition to their roster, one who apparently had a rising price tag as Tuesday’s 4 p.m. trade deadline approached.
Lions Passed on Move for Budda Baker
In the days leading up to Tuesday’s deadline, many insiders expected the Lions to seek some help for their secondary, a unit that had struggled but improved with the return of Brian Branch with Kerby Joseph on the way soon. Arizona Cardinals safety Budda Baker, one of the biggest names rumored to hit the trade block, was a name that came up often.
SI.com’s Donnie Druin named the Lions as an “obvious” fit for Baker, along with the Buffalo Bills.
“The Bills are 6-1 pending their Monday Night Football matchup tonight and have reportedly scoured the safety market, missing the chance to land Jessie Bates this morning,” Druin wrote. “Next up would be Baker, and quite frankly this would be an ideal spot to send Arizona’s safety to. The team has five picks in the first four rounds, making negotiations flexible to make a deal happen.”
The Bills ended up landing Tennessee Titans safety Armani Hooker, sending a second-round pick and getting a fifth-round pick in return. But the Bills also made a run at Baker, with NFL reporter Johnny Venerable noting that they made a similar offer and were turned down.
“Can confirm the Bills offered ‘a quality’ Day 2 pick for Budda Baker. Cardinals declined,” Venerable shared in a post on X.
Lions Made One Small Addition
While the Lions didn’t make any moves on Tuesday, they did land some help earlier in the week by acquiring safety Andrew Cisco from the New York Jets. As the Detroit Free Press noted, some of Detroit’s division rivals had a more active approach in an ultra-competitive division.
“So, outside of some roster shuffling, this is the 2026 version of the Detroit Lions,” the report noted. “They enter the second half of the year in good shape at 6-2, but in a very difficult division. All four teams in the NFC North have at least six wins, with the Bears on top at 7-2.
“The Vikings made a move to address their biggest weakness by bringing back Kirk Cousins to play quarterback, and the Bears added an elite defensive tackle in Jeffrey Simmons.”
The report added that the Lions have some more help arriving in the form of returning players.
“The Lions will be getting some internal reinforcements at some point, with guys like center Cade Mays and safety Kerby Joseph on track to return,” the report added.
Lions Passed on ‘Obvious’ Safety Trade Target at Deadline