It took longer than some might have expected, but Aidan Hutchinson has cashed in with a rich new deal from the Detroit Lions.
Hutchinson’s agent, Mike McCartney, announced Wednesday that his client agreed to a new four-year deal with the Lions worth $180 million that features $141 million in guarantees, the most ever for a non-quarterback.
Hutchinson has been everything the Lions were hoping for when he was selected with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2022 NFL draft. He has 65 quarterback hits, 30 tackles for loss and 28.5 sacks in 39 games over the past three seasons.
The 2024 season was shaping up to be a special year for Hutchinson. He had 17 quarterback hits and 7.5 sacks in just five games, but a broken tibia and fibula suffered in a Week 6 win over the Dallas Cowboys put him on the shelf for the rest of the year.
Injuries to defensive players wound being a huge factor for the Lions in 2024. They had 21 players on injured reserve at one point in December, with 16 being on the defensive side of the ball.
After a 15-2 regular season, the Lions lost 45-31 in their first playoff game to the Washington Commanders. A healthy Hutchinson completely changes the dynamic for this defense, especially with Kelvin Sheppard taking over as defensive coordinator after Aaron Glenn was hired as head coach of the New York Jets.
The Lions already picked up Hutchinson’s fifth-year option for 2026, but getting an extension done now allows them to avoid paying an even higher price if another spike in the edge market occurs after Micah Parsons, Maxx Crosby, T.J. Watt and Myles Garrett reset it coming into the 2025 season.
There also don’t appear to be any issues with Hutchinson’s recovery from the injury that knocked him out last season. He has six sacks, four forced fumbles and 13 quarterback hits through seven games in 2025.
Detroit has reached a point where the front office will have to start making some tough decisions because of all the big-money deals they’ve given out recently to keep this core.
It’s a good problem to have because the Lions have so much quality talent. Hutchinson joins Jared Goff, Amon-Ra St. Brown and Alim McNeill as players who have signed extensions with the team within the last two years.
There was never any doubt that Hutchinson was going to get a deal done with the Lions. Now, their focus will shift on winning another NFC North title and finally clearing that hurdle in the playoffs to reach a Super Bowl.