In the NFL, as in all of sports, giving your opponent any extra motivation ahead of any given game is usually frowned upon.
In some cases, though, it’s totally fine. Especially when you can back it up.
Detroit Lions edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson, the second highest paid defensive player in NFL history, can very much back it up. And he very much has the Philadelphia Eagles on his mind ahead of a Week 11 showdown in Philadelphia between the defending Super Bowl champions and one of the favorites to knock them off their pedestal.
“We really have had this circled on the calendar for a long time,” Hutchinson told NBC Sports Philadelphia’s John Clark on Friday, November 14. “We really see this as a must win.”
The Lions are 6-3 and tied for first place in the NFC North Division with the Chicago Bears. The Eagles are 7-2 and in first place in the NFC East Division.
The Lions had the greatest regular season in franchise history in 2024 by going 15-2 and earning the NFC’s No. 1 overall seed. The main thing that held them back from advancing in the playoffs was the absence of Hutchinson, who suffered a gruesome fractured leg which cost him the final 12 games of the regular season and the playoffs, where the Lions were upset at home by the Washington Commanders in the NFC Divisional Round.
This year, it’s Super Bowl or bust for the Lions and Hutchinson, who signed a 4-year, $180 million contract extension on October 29.
Hutchinson Back to Dominant Self in 2025
There’s a reason the Lions paid big for Hutchinson — he’s been mostly unblockable since Detroit selected him with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2022 NFL draft.
Hutchinson, 6-foot-7 and 268 pounds, had 11.5 sacks in 2023 and was named to his first Pro Bowl. He followed that with 7.5 sacks through 5 games before his injury in 2024 and has 7.0 sacks through the first 9 games in 2025.
He’s also the second-highest paid defensive player in NFL history behind just Green Bay Packers edge rusher Micah Parsons, who signed a 4-year, $186 million contract extension just over a month before Hutchinson got his deal.
Marquee Matchup With Hutchinson vs. Mailata
Don’t just be a typical fan and follow the ball with your eyes when the Lions and Eagles square off. Please give some attention to the absolute master class in trench warfare that’s about to occur between Hutchinson and 6-foot-8, 365-pound Eagles left offensive tackle Jordan Mailata.
According to Pro Football Focus, Mailata’s 95.3 overall grade since the beginning of the 2024 season is 1st among NFL offensive tackles and Hutchinson’s 94.3 overall grade since the beginning of 2024 is 1st among NFL edge rushers.
“We can’t speak about this (Lions) defense without talking about Aidan Hutchinson,” Bleeding Green’s Jonny Page wrote on his official X account on November 14. “Who, as we all know, is a superstar. He’s an exceptional pass rusher who barely ever comes off the field, but rarely seems to tire. He can play both sides and can also rush the A-gap in obvious passing situations. Simply put, he’s very very good!”
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