The NFL draft begins in two days. One of the biggest storylines for the Detroit Lions heading into the draft has been the future of wide receiver Jameson Williams. Over the past week, it's been speculated that Detroit could trade Williams due to the price of his eventual contract extension.
Given that Williams is one of five young Lions stars who will require an extension in the next few seasons, discussing if he's expendable makes sense. One Lion that is certainly not expendable is star pass rusher Aidan Hutchinson.
Everyone in Detroit and around the NFL is aware of this, including Lions team president Rod Wood. On Monday, Wood visited the Detroit Economic Club and provided an update on the potential of contract extensions for Hutchinson and safety Kerby Joseph.
Wood said, "We have a track record of extending our own players, which we've done recently with [Penei] Sewell and [ Amon-Ra] St. Brown. I think that Hutch is likely to be coming up soon. We've got Kerby Joseph coming up soon." He added, "We're ready to keep all these guys here for the long haul."
Last year, Sewell and St. Brown were given extensions the day before the draft. Could Hutchinson be in the mix for the same consideration this week?
"We're ready to keep all these guys here for the long haul."#Lions president Rod Wood at the @deteconomicclub gave up an update on potential upcoming extensions, including ones for Aidan Hutchinson & Kerby Joseph.
— Hobie Artigue (@HeyItsMeHobie) April 22, 2025
📹: @Local4News pic.twitter.com/cpsbh93K2f
Is an Aidan Hutchinson Contract Extension on the Horizon?
If it wasn't clear before, last season proved how much the Lions need Hutchinson. During their Week 6 game against the Dallas Cowboys, the 24-year-old suffered a severe leg injury, fracturing both his tibia and fibula.
Prior to the injury, Hutchinson was one of the best edge rushers in the league with 7.5 sacks and 45 QB pressures. Despite missing the rest of the season, he still led Detroit in those categories by season's end. That just shows how much of a game-changer the 24-year-old really is.
Given Wood's comments, he and the rest of the Lions organization also understands this. However, it would be a smart business decision to get the deal done as soon as possible because his monetary value will only rise after this season.
Nonetheless, a contract extension seems inevitable. Still, Lions fans will only be satisfied when the ink dries on the deal.