Aidan Hutchinson is expected to become the highest-paid non-quarterback in the NFL when he signs his next contract. Will it come soon?
One after another, the best pass rushers in football have gotten new contracts this year.
Myles Garrett, T.J. Watt, Maxx Crosby, Danielle Hunter.
Aidan Hutchinson could be next.
Detroit Lions general manager Brad Holmes said in his annual preseason news conference Thursday the team and Hutchinson have opened talks about a new contract.
"We have had dialogue that has started and so we’ll just kind of see where it goes," Holmes said. "But in terms of the level of importance, yeah, that has not changed. Aidan’s very important."
Hutchinson has established himself as one of the NFL's best defensive linemen as he enters his fourth season.
He led the Lions with 7½ sacks last year despite missing the final 12 games with a broken leg and he's looked every bit like a Defensive Player of the Year candidate during training camp practices this summer.
Hutchinson, 25, said Aug. 21 he was taking a "hands-off" approach to negotiations that are expected to make him the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history.
Watt, a four-time first-team All-Pro who turns 31 in October, signed a three-year, $121 million extension in July that averages $41 million per season.
"I think the business side can take away from your love of the game a little bit. And that's kind of the reality of the NFL," Hutchinson said. "I have a lot of people in my close circle that do deal with that, so my main focus is out here playing football, playing this game I love."
The Lions have prioritized signing cornerstone players to long-term extensions in recent years and have committed $705.5 million in new money to Jared Goff, Penei Sewell, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Alim McNeill, Kerby Joseph, Taylor Decker and David Montgomery in the past 16 months.
Hutchinson, the No. 2 pick of the 2022 draft, has long been believed to be next on that list, though many expected him to wait until Micah Parsons struck a new deal with the Dallas Cowboys. Parsons' negotiations have reportedly stalled, but most of the game's other top pass rushers have signed new deals or, in the case of Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Trey Hendrickson, received a one-year pay raise since the end of last season.
Hutchinson had 9½ sacks as a rookie, when he finished second in Defensive Rookie of the Year voting, and a team-high 11½ sacks in his Pro Bowl season of 2023.
"Nothing’s changed from our end in terms of the importance of getting something done," Holmes said.
Dave Birkett covers the Lions for the Detroit Free Press. Contact him at [email protected]. Follow him on Bluesky, X and Instagram at @davebirkett.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Aidan Hutchinson contract: Lions 'have had dialogue' about new deal
Category: Football
