By Blessing 
Aidan Hutchinson’s Future With Lions Takes an Unexpected Turn
The Detroit Lions just got a boost of good news about one of their cornerstone players—Aidan Hutchinson. Heading into the new NFL season, it’s clear the franchise is locking eyes on the future, and Hutchinson is a major part of that vision.
The former No. 2 overall pick from the 2022 NFL Draft has lived up to the hype so far, emerging as a key figure on Detroit’s defense. And while there’s no contract extension inked just yet, the Lions are making it clear they’re not letting Hutchinson go anywhere.
Lions Eye Long-Term Future With Hutchinson
Team president Rod Wood recently addressed Hutchinson’s future, offering a glimpse into the front office’s mindset. Although he didn’t provide specifics about a new deal, he left no doubt about where the Lions stand.
“He will be here the long haul, I can assure you of that,” Wood told Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. While it wasn’t a confirmation of a pending contract extension, the message was loud and clear—Hutchinson is part of Detroit’s blueprint for success.
Wood acknowledged that the team hasn’t set a firm timeline for when a new deal might be finalized. However, he pointed to the team’s history of rewarding core players as a sign that Hutchinson’s turn is coming.
“We’ll start working on that,” Wood explained. “And we have a track record of extending our own players, which we’ve done that recently with Sewell and St. Brown and [defensive tackle] Alim McNeill, and I think that Hutch is likely to be coming up soon.”
Injury Setback, but Hutchinson Remains a Defensive Force
Despite suffering a fractured leg in October that cut his season short, Hutchinson still led the team in sacks with 7.5—an impressive stat considering he only played in five games. His absence was deeply felt in the Lions’ pass rush, which struggled to maintain the same level of disruption without him.
Head coach Dan Campbell had remained hopeful that Hutchinson might return if the Lions had reached the Super Bowl. But those hopes were dashed when the team’s playoff run ended in a tough loss to the Washington Commanders in the divisional round.
Now, with the offseason underway, Hutchinson is gearing up for a return—and by all accounts, he’s nearly back to full strength.
Hutchinson Ready to Roll After Grueling Rehab
Earlier this month, Hutchinson shared that he had completed most of his rehabilitation and was just a few evaluations away from being cleared to participate in full workouts.
“I’m there. I’d say I’m good,” Hutchinson said during an appearance on Thursday at the Masters. “I’ve got my last evaluation tests when I get back, I leave today and I go back tomorrow to the rehab. I’m gonna finish those evals and once I knock them out of the park, I’ll be on my way and done with rehab. It was a long process, I’ll tell you that.”
He didn’t shy away from describing how challenging the recovery process had been.
“It felt pretty long,” Hutchinson admitted. “The early stages were pretty rough but just being out of that now, like we were talking about earlier, you just have this appreciation for your body, you have appreciation for no pain and running. I’m happy to be done with that.”
The response to his recovery—especially a recent sprinting video—caught him by surprise.
“People were loving that sprinting video, too. I didn’t think people would love it as much as they did. But I got a lot of text messages, a lot of people DMing me. It was cool, the support has been amazing.”