DETROIT – A cryptic tweet has Detroit Lions fans panicking about a possible trade just before the deadline.
🚨 UPDATE: Trade announced literally minutes after this article
NFL teams have until 4 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024, to complete trades for the second half of this season. Most Lions fans expect general manager Brad Holmes to make a deal for a pass rusher.
The Lions are the best team in the NFC at 7-1 and a favorite to make their first Super Bowl appearance. But the loss of star Aidan Hutchinson has left them with a pass rushing void.
Since Hutchinson went down against the Dallas Cowboys, the Lions have struggled to generate pressure without blitzing. It’s a key weakness that needs to be addressed.
On Sunday, just before kickoff against the Packers at Lambeau Field, a report surfaced that the Lions were expected to trade for Browns veteran Za’Darius Smith.
Smith, 32, has 5.5 sacks this season and 65 in his career. He added fuel to the rumors by wearing a blue jacket after Cleveland’s game and saying he would love to come to Detroit.
But now fans are worried about the status of that trade after Smith posted a cryptic tweet on Tuesday morning.
“SMH,” Smith posted, or “shaking my head.”
Nobody knows what it means, but since Smith seemed excited to come to Detroit and he’s now shaking his head about something, Lions fans are speculating that the deal has fallen through.
Some have even gone as far as to suggest Bob Quinn, who now works in Cleveland, is sabotaging his former team out of spite.