The Detroit Lions are making sure one of their brightest stars stays home for the long haul. The team has agreed to a four-year, $180 million contract extension with star pass rusher Aidan Hutchinson, including $141 million guaranteed, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

The deal makes Hutchinson the second-highest-paid non-quarterback in the NFL, trailing only Micah Parsons, who recently signed for $46.5 million per year. For Detroit, it’s another sign that general manager Brad Holmes and head coach Dan Campbell are intent on keeping the franchise’s core intact as the team eyes a Super Bowl run.

Hutchinson, 25, has been a dominant force since returning from a season-ending leg injury that cut short his 2024 campaign. Despite missing a game due to the bye week, he currently leads the NFL with 48 quarterback pressures, ranks tied for seventh in sacks with six, and sits first in forced fumbles with four.

In his rookie season in 2022, Hutchinson recorded 9.5 sacks and followed that up with 11.5 the next year. Before suffering his injury in 2024, he had already notched 7.5 sacks in five games and appeared on pace to challenge the league’s single-season sack record.

This year, Hutchinson owns a 92.6 pass-rush grade, according to Pro Football Focus, ranking second among all edge defenders. His 25.2% pass-rush win rate also places him third in the league. Sportsbooks currently list him as the third favorite for NFL Defensive Player of the Year, at +500 odds, behind Cleveland’s Myles Garrett (+300) and Green Bay’s Micah Parsons (+140).

Through 46 career games (2022–25), Hutchinson has 34.5 sacks, averaging nearly 0.75 sacks per game — a pace that puts him on a Hall of Fame trajectory if sustained. He also made headlines last season with a dominant 4.5-sack performance against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 2.

The extension keeps Hutchinson under contract for six total years, with an important $29 million injury guarantee in 2029 that converts to a full guarantee in March 2028. For practical purposes, the deal ensures he’ll remain in Detroit for at least five more seasons.

The Lions have been busy locking in their stars, continuing a run of major contract extensions that reflects the team’s confidence in its current roster. Quarterback Jared Goff signed a four-year, $212 million extension earlier this year, while wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown agreed to a four-year, $120 million deal. Offensive tackle Penei Sewell inked a four-year, $112 million contract, and defensive standouts Kerby Joseph and Alim McNeill each signed multi-year extensions worth $85 million and $97 million, respectively.

Hutchinson’s deal may be the most symbolic of all. He grew up in Michigan, starred at the University of Michigan, and became the No. 2 overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. Now, he’s being rewarded as one of the cornerstones of Detroit’s revival.

On pace for roughly 115 quarterback pressures this season, which would shatter Aaron Donald’s single-season record of 101 set in 2018, and a projected 14.5 sacks, Hutchinson continues to elevate his game each year.

He remains the only player in NFL history with at least six sacks and 45 pressures through the first seven games of a season, and no Lions player has ever reached 30 career sacks faster. Hutchinson also stands alone as the only player since 2000 to record 9.5 or more sacks as a rookie and at least 7.5 sacks in each of his next two seasons.

For Detroit, securing Hutchinson’s future was more than a financial move — it was a statement. The Lions are building something lasting, and Hutchinson is at the center of it.