The Detroit Lions and defensive end Aidan Hutchinson have agreed to a four-year contract extension worth $180 million, according to CBS Sports senior reporter Matt Zenitz. The deal includes $141 million guaranteed, a record for any non-quarterback.
At $45 million per year, Hutchinson becomes the second highest-paid non-quarterback based on average annual salary; only Micah Parsons, who was incredibly traded from the Dallas Cowboys to the Green Bay Packers and then signed an extension with Green Bay before the season, earns on average more ($46.5 million).
Hutchinson, 25, quickly became a superstar in the Motor City. He finished second in NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year voting in 2022, made the Pro Bowl with 11.5 sacks in 2023 and led the NFL with 7.5 sacks through six weeks of the 2024 season before suffering a season-ending tibia and fibula fracture while firing Dak Prescott from the Dallas Cowboys.
He immediately returned to form in 2025. His 6.9 pressures per game lead the NFL, as do his four forced fumbles. He also ranks top 10 in the league in sacks (six) and pressure rate (19.2%). Since the start of last season, he is averaging an NFL-best 1.13 sacks per game and is the only player to average more than one sack per game.
His rise has coincided with that of the Lions as a whole. In Hutchinson’s four seasons in Detroit, the Lions went 41-17, the fourth-best record in the NFL. Over the previous four seasons, the Lions were 17-46-2, thirdworse record in the NFL.
Hutchinson is also something of a local hero. He was born and raised in Plymouth, Michigan, just west of Detroit, and played at Michigan, where he won Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year and several national awards and was named a 2021 All-America selection.
Edge Rushers continue to get paid; who is next?
Salaries continue to explode across the NFL, and especially at Edge Rusher. Hutchinson is now one of 11 players at the position earning at least $25 million per year, and eight of those 11 players signed their final contracts this year.
| Micah Parsons | $46.5 million | 4/$186 million | 2025 |
| Aidan Hutchinson | $45 million | 4/$180 million | 2025 |
| TJ Watt | $41 million | 3/$123 million | 2025 |
| Myles Garrett | 40 million dollars | 4/$160 million | 2025 |
| Danielle Hunter | $35.6 million | 1/$35.6 million | 2025 |
| Max Crosby | $35.5 million | 3/$106.5 million | 2025 |
| Nick Bosa | $34 million | 5/$170 million | 2023 |
| Trey Hendrickson | $29 million | 1/29M$ | 2025 |
| Josh Hines-Allen | $28.25 million | 5/$121.25 million | 2024 |
| Brian Brule | $28.2 million | 5/$121 million | 2024 |
| Nik Bonitto | $26.5 million | 4/$106 million | 2025 |
The Edge Rushers now own the three largest contracts in terms of total value (Parsons, Hutchinson, Bosa) and AAV (Parsons, Hutchinson, Watt) among non-quarterbacks.
This also sets the table for Texans edge rusher Will Anderson Jr. as next in line for a massive extension that pays him at or near the top of the market. Anderson won Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2023, had 11 sacks last season and leads the NFL in pressure rating this year. He is eligible for an extension this upcoming offseason.
Lions continue to succeed in draft classes, but it’s getting expensive
As mentioned above, the Lions went from NFL laughingstock to Super Bowl contender. They made the NFC Championship Game in the 2023 season and had 15 wins last season despite battling injuries. This year they are 5-2.
Coach Dan Campbell deserves a ton of credit for this success, as does general manager Brad Holmes. Both arrived in 2021 and led a revival in Detroit. It started with the draft. The Lions’ very first pick under Campbell and Holmes was right tackle Penei Sewell, who became a three-time Pro Bowler and two-time first-team All-Pro. Star wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown and stalwart defensive tackle Alim McNeill were also in this draft.
The following year, the Lions drafted not only Hutchinson, but also wide receiver Jameson Williams and ball safety Kerby Joseph. The next year, 2023, brought running back Jahmyr Gibbs, linebacker Jack Campbell, safety Brian Branch and tight end Sam LaPorta. Gibbs, Branch and LaPorta have all been Pro Bowlers, and Campbell has started every game over the past two seasons.
Many of those picks, of course, were made thanks to the franchise-changing trade of Matthew Stafford for Jared Goff, and Goff resurrecting his career in Detroit was the biggest part of the Lions’ success, even with the tremendous draft and development around him.
All this success comes at a price, however, and the Lions have a hefty payroll. Here are the players with a top 10 AAV at their position.
- QB Jared Goff ($53 million per year)
- WR Amon-Ra St. Brown ($30 million per year)
- RT Penei Sewell ($28 million per year)
- DT Alim McNeill ($24.25 million per year)
- EDGE Aidan Hutchinson ($45 million per year)
- S Kerby Joseph ($21.25 million per year)
This list also doesn’t include big contracts for Williams, running back David Montgomery and left tackle Taylor Decker. Gibbs, Campbell, Branch and LaPorta are extension eligible this offseason.
The Lions will have difficult choices to make and restructuring to do. This season becomes particularly important in this regard. The pressure to win, however, is much better than the pressure to make the right choice with a first-round draft pick, a situation Detroit knew far too well before Campbell and Holmes arrived.
