The Detroit Lions didn't make the splashy move some fans were hoping for at the trade deadline. With obvious needs at the offensive line and the pass rush rotation, the Lions seemingly couldn't find a deal that made sense and opted to stand pat ahead of the second half of the season.
Now, they have to hope that they don't continue to suffer serious injuries to key starters. They definitely can't afford that in the pass rush rotation, especially after losing more depth the day after the deadline.
NFL Network's Cameron Wolfe reported on Wednesday that the Miami Dolphins were signing defensive end Andre Carter II off the Lions' practice squad. The Dolphins, who traded EDGE Jaelan Phillips to the Eagles earlier in the week, are now filling his roster spot with Carter. Not only did the Lions miss out on the opportunity to acquire Phillips themselves, but they also lost the only pass rusher they had on the practice squad as a result of Miami's trade.
Lions Lost More EDGE Depth After Trade Deadline
Carter had not made his Lions debut so far after signing to the team's practice squad in late August. He had spent the end of last season and the 2025 preseason with the Las Vegas Raiders before getting released before the start of the regular season. He was decent in his limited snaps in his two seasons in the league, and had a productive preseason with two sacks in three games, but that wasn't enough to land him a spot on a 53-man roster.
The 25-year-old is a former Army standout who finished second in the nation in sacks (15.5) as a junior, before going undrafted in 2023. He will now have a chance to establish his career with the Dolphins, who have given up on their season after a 2-7 start.
The Lions, on the other hand, have only four defensive ends healthy on the active roster. Al-Quadin Muhammad has been playing well above expectations, and Aidan Hutchinson is Aidan Hutchinson.
The depth behind them, which consists of Tyrus Wheat and Tyler Lacy at the moment, leaves plenty to be desired. If and when Josh Paschal and Marcus Davenport return, the Lions could feel better about their rotation, but right now, they have no emergency backups that they can rely on after Carter's departure.
So far, the lack of depth hasn't come back to bite the Lions, and the fanbase will hope that remains the case. Otherwise, there may be some major regrets about not addressing the EDGE at the trade deadline like the Eagles did.