Aidan Hutchinson is back, and he’s wreaking havoc. In his first four games since a devastating leg injury last season against the Dallas Cowboys, the Detroit Lions’ star edge rusher has notched four sacks and two forced fumbles. Through Week 4 of the 2025 NFL season, Hutchinson ranks third league-wide among edge rushers with 23 pressures, per Pro Football Focus (PFF), despite facing double-teams at the third-highest rate in the NFL.
Hutchinson’s dominance isn’t new. Over his last nine healthy games, spanning parts of 2024 and 2025, he leads the NFL with a 95.0 PFF pass-rush grade, 68 pressures, 11.5 sacks, and a 32.7% pass-rush win rate. His standout moment this season came against the Baltimore Ravens, where he punched the ball out of Derrick Henry’s hands late in the fourth quarter, forcing a fumble that gave the Lions prime field position.
Last year, Hutchinson was the favorite to win NFL Defensive Player of the Year (DPOY) four weeks into the season before his injury derailed a historic campaign. He was on pace for 25.5 sacks, which would have shattered the NFL single-season record. Now, four weeks into 2025, he’s tied for the best DPOY odds, according to sportsbooks.
Hutchinson’s stats invite comparisons to elite company. In 42 games, Hutchinson and Cleveland Browns’ Myles Garrett, a four-time First-Team All-Pro, six-time Pro Bowler, and 2023 DPOY, have nearly identical production. Since 2021, only four players have recorded at least 4.5 sacks in a single game: Garrett (2021), Chandler Jones (2021), Khalil Mack (2023) and Hutchinson (2024 vs. the Tampa Bay Buccaneers).
At 6-foot-6 and 260 pounds, the former Michigan Wolverine, a unanimous All-American and the No. 2 overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, combines explosive bend with a vice-like grip. His signature “Hutch Stick” move, a devastating rip-and-bull hybrid, overwhelms offensive tackles. Hutchinson also holds the Michigan Wolverines’ record for most sacks in a season (14.5)
His impact extends beyond pass-rushing. As a rookie in 2022, Hutchinson recorded three interceptions, a feat unmatched by All-Pro pass rushers like Micah Parsons and Garrett. He earned All-Pro Rookie honors that year after leading the Lions with 9.5 sacks. Through six weeks of 2024, Hutchinson posted a 95.0 pass-rush grade and a 94.9 overall grade, numbers that would have been historically elite if sustained.
Hutchinson’s 32nd career sack, recorded in Week 4 of 2025, made him the Lions’ all-time sack leader through a player’s first four seasons, despite missing 12 games last year due to injury. In just 55 games — out of a possible 64 to 68 due to the NFL’s added 17th game — he’s cemented his place in franchise history.
Lions defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard praises Hutchinson’s versatility, saying, “He can line up and do pretty much whatever he wants.” That flexibility, paired with his freakish athleticism, makes him a nightmare for opponents.
Off the field, Hutchinson is a role model. Through his charity, “The House of Hutch,” he supports children battling life-threatening illnesses at Mott Children’s Hospital in Ann Arbor. He regularly visits these “Hutch Heroes,” spotlighting them on social media before games and carrying their names on his water jug.
Looking ahead, Hutchinson faces a favorable matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals, whose offensive line has struggled in 2025. Cincinnati allowed two sacks and four tackles for loss to Garrett in Week 1, two sacks to Andrew Van Ginkel in Week 3, and 1.5 sacks to Denver’s Nik Bonitto in Week 4. With this opportunity, Hutchinson could approach his career-high single-game record of 4.5 sacks.
Hutchinson’s blend of on-field dominance and off-field compassion makes him a rare talent. As he continues his ascent, the NFL’s offensive lines brace for impact.