Aidan Hutchinson, Lions Haven't Had 'Any Intense Talks' on Contract Extension, GM Says

Defensive end contracts have been firmly under the spotlight this offseason, and Aidan Hutchinson could be in line for quite the deal in the near future.

However, Detroit Lions general manager Brad Holmes said during a Wednesday appearance on 97.1 The Ticket the two sides are yet to have "any intense talks yet" even though it is "very important" for the team to sign the star pass-rusher to a long-term contract.

"Look, we’ll definitely get some dialogue going soon here, but those things take time, especially the larger the deal is," Holmes said.

Hutchinson is under team control through the $19.8 million club option for the 2026 season on his current deal. That means there isn't immediate urgency, but the price tag also continues to rise at the position.

After all, the Las Vegas Raiders and Maxx Crosby agreed to a three-year, $106.5 million extension in March before the Cleveland Browns made Myles Garrett the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history with a deal that paid him $40 million per year that same month.

Garrett didn't hold onto that title long, as the Pittsburgh Steelers agreed to a deal that paid T.J. Watt an average annual value of $41 million over three years.

"It's awesome. Really, it's great for the market," Hutchinson told reporters last month when discussing the new contracts. "I feel very blessed that I'm in such a position of high value."

For his part, Hutchinson might want to wait to see how the Micah Parsons situation unfolds after the Penn State product requested a trade from the Dallas Cowboys with his contract negotiations stalling. Perhaps Dallas and Parsons will eventually come to terms on a deal that is larger than Watt's, which would once again reset the market.

Hutchinson may also have more leverage next offseason if he returns to form in 2025.

A fractured tibia and fibula limited him to just five games last season and cut short a red-hot start to the season that saw him tally 7.5 sacks in that time. He was on pace to fly past his career-best mark of 11.5 sacks that he set in 2023 while helping lead the Lions to the NFC Championship Game.

If the No. 1 pick of the 2022 draft is as dominant as he was before the injury when he is back on the field, he will be in line for a significant contract extension.