Aidan Hutchinson
Allen Park Everyone in Detroit has been waiting for this transaction.
Aidan Hutchinson, a standout defensive end, extended his contract with the Detroit Lions on Wednesday.
The four-year deal was revealed by Aidan Hutchinson’s agent, Mike McCartney. A source close with the negotiations claims that the defender’s contract has been increased to $180 million, with $141 million guaranteed. This is the biggest contract in NFL history for a non-quarterback.
Together with the two years remaining on his rookie contract, this agreement will keep Aidan
Hutchinson in Detroit through the 2030 campaign.
Aidan Hutchinson, who was selected with the second overall pick in the 2022 draft, quickly adapted to the NFL. He only got better after recording 9.5 sacks as a rookie; in his second season, he recorded 11.5 sacks. He led the league with 7.5 sacks in five games just last year, but his run as Defensive Player of the Year was unexpectedly cut short by a broken leg.
Aidan Hutchinson continued where he left off this season, leading the league with 48 total pressures and recording six sacks in seven games following surgery and a protracted recuperation.
Dan Campbell, the head coach of the Lions, was recently asked to estimate Aidan Hutchinson’s impact.
“I don’t know if I can really put a number on it—I’m not sure there even is one that big,” Campbell remarked. He is quite valuable. He manages so much for us in both the run and pass games.
He does his share and more, while you talk about doing your share. Everyone benefits from the abundance of offensive resources he pulls.
“He’s a complete football player,” Campbell continued. He is disruptive, violent, highly motivated, intelligent, explosive, tough, and fiercely competitive. He is the whole package.
Because Detroit exercised Hutchinson’s fifth-year option on his rookie contract back in April, the organization already controlled his contract through the 2026 season prior to this extension. This allowed both parties to thoroughly review the specifics of this significant new agreement.
Naturally, as other elite edge rushers in the NFL signed new contracts, the price continued to rise every month.
It all began in March when former Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett asked Cleveland to move him, but in the end he decided to stay on a restructured contract worth $160 million over four years.
According to Lions general manager Brad Holmes, the organization had anticipated this during the spring league meetings, and it reset the market for non-quarterbacks.
“Look, it is what it is,” Holmes clarified. We already have forecasts in that range when we budget and plan for the future. Naturally, though, the market simply rises when it does, so you need to be prepared for that. You can never be certain where it will land. Although it is a challenging aspect of our work, we put a lot of effort into market forecasting. We’ve had to set aside money for a number of guys, including him.
T.J. Watt of Pittsburgh signed to a three-year extension with an average of $41 million each season a few months after Garrett’s contract. However, Micah Parsons’ blockbuster contract, which he signed with the Packers after being moved from Dallas for a four-year contract worth $46.5 million annually, was far better than either of those agreements.
The Lions and Hutchinson were able to complete their own talks after that last action.
Hutchinson is now one of many Lions players who have been given long-term contract extensions by the team.
Since 2023, the franchise has signed defensive lineman Alim McNeill, safety Kerby Joseph, wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown, offensive tackle Penei Sewell, and quarterback Jared Goff to contracts that are at or close to the best available for their professions.
Last year, the team also extended contracts to David Montgomery, Derrick Barnes, Taylor Decker, and Jameson Williams. Notably, Brad Holmes selected Hutchinson, Sewell, St. Brown, McNeill, Joseph, and Williams in the draft.
Running back Jahmyr Gibbs, tight end Sam LaPorta, safety Brian Branch, and linebacker Jack Campbell from the 2023 draft class are just a few of the young players the front office will have available for new contracts in the upcoming offseason.