The Detroit Lions won’t bring defensive end Za’Darius Smith back for the 2025 campaign, though their plans for Aidan Hutchinson are the exact opposite.
Hutchinson returns to action for the first time on Sunday, September 7, against the Green Bay Packers since breaking his leg in a Week 5 contest against the Dallas Cowboys last year. The defensive end finished second in Defensive Rookie of the Year voting in 2022 before earning Pro-Bowl honors in 2023 on the strength of 33 QB hits, 14 tackles for loss and 11.5 sacks.
Hutchinson amassed 7.5 sacks by the midpoint of his fifth game of the 2024 campaign before suffering what turned out to be a season-ending injury. So while he didn’t win any accolades, Hutchinson was on pace to win the sack crown easily, which likely would have led to a second consecutive Pro Bowl and first-team All-Pro honors. Trey Hendrickson of the Cincinnati Bengals, who ended up leading the NFL with 17.5 total sacks, was a first-team All-Pro selection and finished second in Defensive Player of the Year voting.
As such, Detroit is likely to pay Hutchinson like one of the best pass rushers in the league because, by all accounts, that’s exactly what he’s going to be in his fourth season. Jeremy Fowler of ESPN reported on Thursday, September 4, that the franchise is already working toward what should be a monster deal.
“Week 1 can create urgency for contract extensions that teams or players slow-played over the past four months. … Here are a handful of candidates I’m keeping my eye on: Lions edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson,” Fowler wrote first before listing a handful of players from other teams. “Hutchinson will capitalize on the ballooning pass-rush market, and the Lions have begun discussions with him.”
Aidan Hutchinson Should Command $40 Million or More Annually on Next Deal With Lions
GettyDetroit Lions edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson
Precisely what Hutchinson will earn is uncertain, though several massive contracts for his peers this offseason have set the market in a pretty clear place.
Micah Parsons is the richest non-QB in league history at $46.5 million annually ($186 million over four years) with $136 million in total guarantees. T.J. Watt is earning $41 million annually over three years, while Myles Garrett locked in $40 million per season over a four-year extension.
Hutchinson just turned 25 and is younger than all of them. Furthermore, Detroit has very little currently invested in the edge rusher position, as second starter Marcus Davenport is playing on a one-year agreement worth $2.5 million total.
While not an ironclad prediction because of Hutchinson’s injury last season, which shouldn’t be a recurring problem and therefore shouldn’t scare Detroit too much or cut too far into his market value, Hutchinson is likely to sign a contract worth north of $40 million per season.
He may not reset the market considering how above and beyond the Green Bay Packers went with Parsons’ salary, but it wouldn’t be surprising if Hutchinson gets more than $41 million annually and becomes the second-highest paid pass rusher in the NFL.
Exit of Za’Darius Smith to Eagles Leaves Aidan Hutchinson as Sole Edge Threat on Lions’ Defense
GettyFormer Detroit Lions edge rusher Za’Darius Smith.
Smith inked a deal worth up to $9 million with the Philadelphia Eagles Friday, which officially deleted the Lions’ second best pass rusher from their team, even though Smith was already a free agent and not officially a member of the Detroit roster.
The big question now is who, if anyone, the Lions will pursue to take his place? The team traded with the Cleveland Browns for Smith ahead of last year’s mid-season deadline and could explore a similar strategy up until early November, though that would mean relying almost solely on Hutchinson to create pressure off the edge for multiple games.
If Detroit decides to go the free agent route, the best option is probably Jadeveon Clowney who played with the Carolina Panthers last season before that organization released him in May.
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