It’s an interesting question that has been floated out there ever since the Lions drafted not one but TWO wide receivers in the 2025 NFL Draft this past April. Would the Detroit Lions trade or even consider trading All Pro WR Amon Ra St. Brown?

St. Brown signed his four-year $120 millian contract extension with the Detroit Lions on April 24, 2024, keeping him with the Lions through the 2028 season. Prior to signing that extension, ARSB recorded 1,515 yards and 10 TDs on 119 catches, all career-highs (at the time, he broke his TD record in 2024). Among all receivers, St. Brown finished the season third in yards, third in catches, tied for fourth in touchdowns, third in first downs (75), tied for third in catches per game (7.4), and fifth in yards per contest (94.7). He also had just two drops in 2023, the lowest among all wideouts with at least 125 targets.

Following his payday, he finished the 2024 season amassing 1,263 receiving yards. He achieved this with 115 (5th in NFL) receptions (1st in NFL) and 12 (3rd in NFL) touchdowns and had a whopping one drop.

One.

Aside from being extremely productive after being drafted in the 4th round, St Brown is quickly climbing the list of all time Lion greats. He is currently 4th all-time in Lions history with 430 receptions. He is on track to pass Johnnie Morton this season (470 receptions) for third place. He’s also 6th in franchise history in receiving yards with 4,851 and ranks 5th in receiving touchdowns 33 career receiving touchdowns, but will most certainly move into 3rd this upcoming season, needing only 4 to move up.

With all that said, we haven’t even touched on his impact in the lockerroom. St. Brown is the epitome of what the Dan Campbell Detroit Lion culture is about. A man that catches over 200 balls on the jugs machine and plays with a chip on his shoulder since being drafted, so much so his jersey number represents how mad he is about 14 players being picked before him (it’s been corrected as ARSB admitted the number is actually 16).

So why would anyone consider the idea of trading a player so impactful and important to what the Lions are and have been doing? Is is because he isn’t your typical number 1 WR or as some uneducated people like to say a “slot merchant”? Does it really matter where he lines up when he’s putting up 100+ rec, 1200 yds and double digit TDs? “OH but he doesn’t line up against the defenses best DB.” That’s not his fault, that’s the fault of the opposing HC and DC.

Bill Belichick once lined up Aqib Talib against the Saints Jimmy Graham in 2013 because he wasn’t gonna let Graham beat his team, he was going to force the Saints to go elsewhere….and it worked. Graham finished the game with zero receptions on six targets.

Others will say it’s because 2025 3rd round pick and training camp standout Issac TeSlaa could take his his spot, sonce he is bigger and more of a true number one. Or even 2025 7th round pick Dominic Lovett who is more twitchy and could be the new “slot merchant”. BTW, I hate that term.

The same people who don’t want to crown rookies before they play a snap, sure are quick to want to trade away their star players for those same rookies because of the cheaper contract. A great rule of thumb is you never trade away or release a player unless you have equal or better talent to replace that player. There is no one on the roster right now that fits that mold. No one can replace St Brown, who is arguably a top 5 WR in the NFL.

There’s also people that think his podcast is starting to give ARSB and inflated ego and almost a diva persona…to that I laugh. You want guys with personality and an identity. The Lions tried the dictatorship and the mindless drone approach….that ked to hiring Dan Campbell.

So the three concerns are:

Slot guy

Contract

Podcast

Are those really things that warrant trading away a player that fully represents the Brand New Lions? A player who when his career is over has a chance to be considered one of the greatest Lions ever and wearing a gold jacket?

Absolutely not.

Amon Ra St Brown is a Lion.

Amon Ra St Brown is Detroit.