The Detroit Lions have set a precedent for rewarding their draft picks for good performance with hefty contract extensions. Under general manager Brad Holmes, the team has been willing to invest in their own draft picks with new deals at the conclusion of their rookie contracts.
In 2024, the Lions handed out hefty deals to Amon-Ra St. Brown, Penei Sewell and Alim McNeill ahead of the final years of their respective rookie deals. Detroit did the same prior to this year's draft by signing Kerby Joseph, but has yet to connect on a deal with 2022 No. 2 overall pick Aidan Hutchinson.
Considered to be one of the best in the league at the defensive end position, the Michigan product will without question command a hefty extension. However, there has been little said by either the organization or the player throughout the offseason.
Because of this, ProFootballTalk's Mike Florio raised an alarm regarding the defender and his future with the team. While Hutchinson, a hometown star, certainly desires being in Detroit long-term, Florio believes it will be a challenge for the organization to not use that as leverage against him in negotiations.
“Aidan Hutchinson, three years in, still waiting (for a contract). This is a strange situation because no one is talking about the fact that Hutchinson does not have a deal," Florio said. "We talk about T.J. Watt, we talk about Micah Parsons, we talk about Trey Hendrickson. Pass-rusher, pass-rusher, pass-rusher. Here’s Hutchinson, he doesn’t have a deal, no conversation about it. He had about a 12-to-15 minute press conference during offseason workouts, not a single question about it. Part of the problem is he wants to be in Detroit, and the challenge for the Lions will be to not use that against him.”
Hutchinson is coming off a season-ending leg injury. While he has been cleared and returned to action throughout the offseason workout program, there are still certainly concerns regarding long-term health.
"I understand why the Lions would want to wait, they want to make sure he's healthy," Florio explained. "But from his perspectice, 'I've done everything I can do. I should no longer have to carry the risk of injury, I should get my reward.' Because if he goes out and plays this year and suffers another serious injury, then what happens. So he has every reason to believe he's earned it and the Lions have every right to be patient."
There are also inherent risks for Hutchinson when it comes to not taking a deal. The Lions have two more years of team control, and as a result can maximize his production while not breaking the back with a potential extension in the near future.
Florio explained previous precedents that suggest teams who wait often times have to pay even more to secure the services of their stars. He also explained that the fourth season of a rookie is often the most valuable relative to the amount teams are paying them, citing Micah Parsons and Ja'Marr Chase's performances in their respective seasons.
As a result, the Lions do stand to benefit should they wait to get an extension done, while Hutchinson is taking a risk if he has no new deal entering the 2025 season.
"You get a big year from a key player and you defer paying him," Florio stated. "The Lions may be trying to pull that off, and if Hutchinson goes along with that, and if Hutchinson is willing to go along with it, that's his business. But he's taking a helluva risk if he goes into the 2025 season if he goes into the 2025 season without the contract that he has earned."
