The Lions have opened extension talks with star edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson , per Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press .
Hutchinson, the No. 2 overall pick in 2022, became eligible for an extension earlier this offseason. The Lions picked up his fifth-year option to lock down his services in 2026 for $19.872MM, but no serious negotiations on a long-term deal
picked up until recently.
Hutchinson declined to offer an update on contract talks last week, saying (via Birkett ) that he preferred to be “hands-off with the process.”
“I think the business side can take away from your love of the game a little bit,” explained Hutchinson. “And that’s kind of the reality of the NFL.
But on Thursday morning, Lions general manager Brad Holmes said that a “dialogue” with Hutchinson’s representation had begun. Hours later, however, Micah Parsons completely upended the EDGE market with a $47MM APY and $120MM fully guaranteed on his new deal with the Packers. It’s hard to argue that Hutchinson (or any other defender) is worth as much as Parsons, but his new contract does raise the ceiling on future edge rusher negotiations.
Hutchinson wasn’t as dominant in his first two seasons as Parsons was in his, but the former Michigan Wolverine got off to a torrid start in 2024 with 7.5 sacks in five games. It might have been difficult to carry that 25.5-sack pace through the rest of the season, but Hutchinson seemed to have a strong chance at leading the league and potentially reach 20.0 sacks, two things Parsons hasn’t done yet.
However, a broken leg abruptly ended his season after just five games, ending his shot at a record-breaking season. His recovery appears to have gone smoothly heading into the regular season, so he’ll be trying to replicate last year’s efforts and push for an APY above $40MM.
On Thursday, Holmes also said that the team has not been in recent talks to sign Za’Darius Smith , according to Birkett . The Lions acquired Smith from the Browns at the 2024 trade deadline and was released as a cap casualty before free agency . He expressed a desire to return to Detroit and stayed in touch with the team throughout the offseason. Their most recent contact was in early August , but with the regular season soon approaching, it doesn’t seem that Smith will return to the Motor City.