The Detroit Lions will enter the season as one of the top teams in the league. They finished with a franchise-best 15-2 record and locked down the No. 1 seed in the NFC.
They have experienced a lot of change this offseason, losing multiple coaches, including Aaron Glenn and Ben Johnson. Despite those losses, the foundation of the team is still there. One of those guys is Aidan Hutchinson. The Michigan product suffered a broken left tibia and fibula in Week 6 against the Dallas Cowboys.
He is going to make a full recovery and will be a key factor in 2025. General manager Brad Holmes spoke with members of the media on Tuesday at the NFL Scouting Combine and expressed the team is in the planning stages of an extension for Hutchinson.
Brad Holmes talked a lot today about the scarcity and value of pass rushers. Said they were in the planning stage of an Aidan Hutchinson extension.
— Jeremy Reisman (@DetroitOnLion) February 25, 2025
Then was asked if they could add another premier pass rusher given the cost:
“Probably not.”
Lions Became Extension Talks With Aidan Hutchinson
While the Lions still have the luxury of picking up Hutchinson's fifth-year option for the 2026 season, the convos around an extension have started. The Michigan product is already one of the best edge rushers in the league. He wreaks havoc in the backfield and also plays excellent run defense.
In 39 career games, Hutchinson has racked up 82 solo tackles, 30 TFLs, 65 QB hits, and 28.5 sacks. Prior to going down in 2024, he had 19 total tackles, seven TFLs, 17 QB hits, and 7.5 sacks. He was on his way to being included in the Defensive Player of the Year convo.
The 24-year-old is a foundational piece for this team and the Lions want to lock him down sooner rather than later. San Francisco's Nick Bosa is the highest-paid edge rusher, making $34 million annually.
Cowboys edge Micah Parsons is next up for an extension and will look to top that number. As time goes by, the price will only go up, and the Lions realize that.