One of the top priorities for the Detroit Lions this offseason will be to bolster their defensive line depth, specifically at defensive end.
The Lions not only need a running mate for Aidan Hutchinson next season, but also a couple of pass rushers behind him that opposing offenses will have to think about. Detroit hopes to bring back Al-Quadin Muhammad, who enjoyed a breakout 2025 season, but his return is not guaranteed.
With that being said, Detroit must explore all options in free agency. One potential target for the Lions could be veteran defensive end Cameron Jordan. On Thursday, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that Jordan, who has spent 15 seasons with the New Orleans Saints, is hitting free agency and “is said to be open to leaving New Orleans.”
Detroit seems like a fit for Jordan, but so do the Chicago Bears. The Bears also need more pass-rushing help after not getting much from their unit this past season. Chicago had fewer sacks (35) than Detroit (49).
Lions Should Try to Get Involved in Cameron Jordan Sweepstakes
Chicago suddenly has the cap space to entice Jordan to leave the Big Easy after trading DJ Moore and releasing Tremaine Edmunds on Thursday. And not to mention, Jordan has ties to Dennis Allen, who coached him in New Orleans.
However, the Lions offer Jordan the chance to play with Hutchinson, who is better than Bears defensive end Montez Sweat.
When considering those factors, Detroit should take the Bears seriously, especially if Chicago doesn’t land any of the top EDGE rushers such as Maxx Crosby and Trey Hendrickson. They will be fishing in the same pond for pass-rushing help.
Despite being 36 years old, Jordan didn’t show any signs of slowing down in 2025, even though the Saints weren’t a good team. The veteran defender racked up 22 quarterback pressures, 15 quarterback hits, 15 tackles for loss, and 10.5 sacks.
The last time Jordan had double-digit sacks was in 2021, when he recorded 12.5. He made sure his presence was felt in all aspects of the game, including run defense, where he earned a grade of 82.1, per Pro Football Focus.
The Lions could use a pass rusher like Jordan, who is effective in stopping the run, especially if they were to lose Muhammad. Muhammad had a run defense grade of 59.3. Detroit allowed the 14th fewest rushing yards per game this past season (114.5), which isn’t terrible. But the Lions could always get better in that department.
Spotrac projects Jordan’s market value as a one-year, $6.8 million deal, which is great value for the Lions but also the Bears, who created $15 million in cap space with the Edmunds release.
In a perfect world, Detroit would love to steal Jordan away from the Bears and then re-sign Muhammad, giving them a better pass-rushing threat than they had in 2025.
Having a strong pass-rushing unit could do wonders for your team’s championship hopes, as we saw the Denver Broncos, Seattle Seahawks, and the New England Patriots make deep playoff runs because of how strong their front four was. Therefore, the Lions need to make their front seven a priority if they want to knock the Bears down a peg in 2026.