Multiple NFL reporters have named the Detroit Lions primary trade suitors for Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Joey Porter Jr., or some other blockbuster target who might improve a seriously problematic secondary. But to hear head coach Dan Campbell tell it, that outcome — while not impossible — is unlikely.
Campbell spoke to reporters on Tuesday, September 15 and doused rumors of a monster deal developing any time soon, if at all.
“I don’t see that,” Campbell said, per Pro Football Talk. “I would say this, though, it gives us options. Whether that be our own guys or — it just gives us flexibility.
“There’s a lot that can happen.”
Lions Secondary Almost Fumbled Away Game Against Saints
Detroit currently has just shy of $39 million in salary cap space and a defense that ESPN’s Bill Barnwell described after Week 1 as “Aidan Hutchinson or bust.”
The Lions allowed Tyler Shough of the New Orleans Saints to throw for 410 yards on Sunday (325 yards in the final two quarters and overtime combined), despite playing badly enough in the opening half that social media calls for his benching had begun before the second half even started.
Detroit surrendered a 21-0 lead that it held midway through the third period, despite knowing that New Orleans had to throw to fight its way back into contention and fielding defensive formations specifically to stop that from happening. In the end, the Lions eked out a one-point victory in overtime.
ESPN’s Ben Solak asserted Tuesday that the secondary is Detroit’s “Achilles heel” as a Thursday Night Football contest against the Buffalo Bills looms just two days from now.
“The Lions are 1-0 after one week without [Brian] Branch and [Kerby] Joseph — that’s a huge win,” Solak wrote. “I’m just mightily worried about their ability to stay afloat against a more developed quarterback and deeper passing attack.”
Joey Porter Jr. Expensive, but Can Offer Lions Precisely What They Need
The biggest issue, Solak said, is cornerback speed.
The Lions have traditionally employed a heavy dose of man coverage during the Campbell era. But with older and slower players on the outside, Detroit put five defensive backs on the field with great frequency (nickel coverage) and deployed them largely in zone schemes against the Saints.
It worked for just under 40 minutes, and then the strategy fell apart. Adding a player like Porter could help tremendously in this regard.
The problem is that he is probably going to cost either a first-round or second-round pick in a valuable 2027 draft class, after which the Lions will have to pay him. Spotrac projects Porter’s value at just north of $70 million on a new three-year deal that will begin next season.
“The Lions were looking for corner help even before they released Terrion Arnold in June,” ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler wrote Sunday. “Detroit likes man-coverage corners, and Porter definitely qualifies.”
The Lions restructured the deals of wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown and offensive tackle Penei Sewell to clear most of the salary cap space they now have.
And with the Chicago Bears looking like an offensive juggernaut, Detroit should have strong incentive to consider improving its defense in an effort to win the NFC North Division for the third time in four years and return to the playoffs after missing them in 2025-26.
Lions’ Dan Campbell Breaks Silence on Joey Porter Jr. Trade Rumors