Both of the Detroit Lions’ first-round picks for the 2022 NFL Draft have had their 5th-year option exercised.
Per Field Yates of ESPN, the Detroit Lions have reportedly exercised the fifth-year option for both of their first-round picks from the 2022 NFL Draft : defensive end Aidan Hutchinson and wide receiver Jameson Williams.
The news comes as no surprise, as general manager Brad Holmes notified during the owners meetings in early April that the team was likely headed in that direction.
“It’s heading that way, that we’re, you know, most likely gonna be doing that,” Holmes said.
The fifth-year option now means that both Hutchinson and Williams are under contract through the 2026 season. Hutchinson’s extra year will be worth $19,872,000 as a fully-guaranteed salary. Williams’ guaranteed salary in 2026 will be $15,493,000.
The Lions are in the midst of trying to give Hutchinson an extension beyond that. Earlier this week, team president Rod Wood assured fans in attendance of a pre-draft event that Hutchinson will be a Lion for ‘the long haul’ . Now Detroit has one more cost-controlled year they can add on Hutchinson’s theoretical new deal, much like they did with Penei Sewell last year .
The future for Williams is a little more uncertain at this point. At the owners meetings, Holmes would not commit to a long-term deal for Williams quite yet , noting that the position is particularly expensive. However, after Day 1 of the 2025 NFL Draft, Holmes also firmly put any talks about trading Williams to bed.
“No, that’s something that we have never entertained. I don’t know where that report came from, but that’s not a conversation that me and Dan (Campbell) have ever had,” Holmes said.