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The Lions finally got it done. Hometown star Aidan Hutchinson is staying in Detroit at least through the 2030 season. Everyone saw it coming, but it’s nice to finally get it done. Now, the Lions can focus on the matter at hand; hoisting the Lombardi trophy in February.

The Lions have now re-signed their core pieces for the next few years. Amon-Ra St Brown, Penei Sewell, Jared Goff, Alim McNeill, Jameson Williams, Aidan Hutchinson, and more have been extended within the past year, locking up their guys for years to come. So much for their window closing.

Hutchinson signed a four-year extension worth $180 million, with $141 million guaranteed, making him the second highest paid defensive player in NFL history. Division rival Micah Parsons set the record this off-season, when he signed a four-year, $186 million deal with Green Bay, after being traded there from Dallas. While Hutchinson is not ‘technically’ the highest paid player, he has the highest guarantees, which could be why he took a small discount. The question now is; is he really worth the money? The obvious answer is yes, but it may not be so obvious to everyone. I have seen multiple ‘big’ names in sports saying Hutchinson got overpaid, which is pretty insane in my opinion. Some are even saying he is overrated, and doesn’t belong in the same tier as Myles Garrett, Micah Parsons, Maxx Crosby, or even Trey Hendrickson. The point of this article is to prove that wrong.

It was always a no-brainer for Detroit to extend Hutch. It was a matter of when, not if. The Lions may have cost them a little bit of money in the long run by letting Watt, Garrett, and Parsons get extended first, but it really shouldn’t matter much. Regardless, this deal will look much better in a few years when other players get paid even more. Plus, the deal doesn’t actually kick in until 2026.

Now we know the money details, but why is Hutchinson worth the money?

As we all know, Aidan Hutchinson has made a name for himself as one of the best edge rushers in the NFL, but some are questioning whether he is actually on the top tier of edge rushers. Let’s take a look at his career to this point, as it should add some context to this contract.

CAREER:

For starters, Hutchinson has consistently been ranked among the top edge defenders by PFF throughout his career. He has had a 90+ overall grade every season in his career, starting with a 91.8 in ’22, 94.7 in ’23, 94.9 in ’24, and a 92.2 this year. Obviously, he is elite per PFF, but, as we all know, PFF is not the end all be all. He has a career pressure rate of 14.1%, which ranks just below guys like Micah Parsons and Myles Garrett, which is sort of the argument people are making. I go in depth on the comparisons below, so I’ll save it for then. Hutchinson ranks 9th in sacks since ’22, while missing 11 games last season. He would likely be in the top 5 if he hadn’t missed those games. He has a career sack rate of 2.6%, meaning he gets a sack on 2.6% of the plays he’s on the field. He has 34.5 sacks in his career through 46 games, which is not among the best, but is still pretty solid. His pressures are more impressive, with 204 on his career. To add some context, Myles Garrett, who is seen as the best in the NFL, had just 186 in his first 46 games. Overall, Hutch has had a pretty elite start to his career, and before his injury last year, it seemed he might’ve taken home the Defensive Player of The Year award.

2025:

Currently, Hutchinson ranks 2nd among edge rushers per PFF, with a 92.2 overall grade, and a pass rush grade of 92.6. He is currently 11th in pressure rate among qualified linemen at 15.5% while playing the most pass rush snaps of anyone. He is 1st in pressures with 48, 5th in sacks with 7.0, and 1st in forced fumbles. This season, he is ranked 5th in double teams and chips on pass plays, meaning teams are unable to block him one on one. He has not only been a great pass rusher, but he has been a pretty good run defender as well. He excels due to his motor, power, and finesse. A lot of people seem to overlook the fact that he is 6’7″ 270lbs as well, which gives him a bit of an advantage over most edge defenders.

COMPARISON vs PARSONS:

2025

Overall PFF Grade: Hutchinson: 92.2 (2nd). Parsons: 92.5 (1st).

PFF Run Defense Grade: Hutch: 69.7. Parsons: 69.6.

Pressures: Hutch: 48. Parsons: 42.

Sacks: Hutch: 7. Parsons: 7.

CAREER

Pressure Rate: Hutch: 14.1% Parsons: 20.82%

Sack Rate: Hutch: 2.8% Parsons: 3.28%

Parsons is ranked 1st per PFF by just .3, but is 2nd in pressures, 6 behind Hutchinson, and they are also tied for sacks with 7. Their career pressure rate clearly has a large gap, with Parsons having the edge there. Their sack rate also has a discrepancy, with Parsons again having the edge. Obviously, Parsons has been a more productive pass rusher so far in his career, but Hutchinson makes up for that with slightly better run defense. Obviously, you may still give Parsons the edge, but they have different jobs within their systems. Hutchinson is asked to push the pocket, and contain the edge in the run game. Parsons is more of a ‘pin you ears back’ type, where. essentially, his job is just go get the Quarterback by any means necessary. Statistically, Parsons has the edge, but I think you could go either way, it just depends on what you value more. Parsons has the athletic edge as well, as he is a freak athlete for his size.

EDGE: Parsons, by a slight margin. He has the edge as a rusher, but Hutchinson has the edge as a run defender. But the gap is a little wider in the pass rush, giving Parsons the overall edge.

COMPARISON vs GARRETT:

2025

Overall PFF Grade: Hutchinson: 92.2 (2nd). Garrett: 92.2 (2nd).

PFF Run Defense Grade: Hutch: 69.7. Garrett: 86.7.

Pressures: Hutch: 48. Garrett: 34.

Sacks: Hutch: 7. Garrett: 11.

CAREER

Pressure Rate: Hutch: 14.1% Garrett: 16.9%

Sack Rate: Hutch: 2.6% Garrett: 3.23%

Garrett is tied per PFF, has 14 less pressures, but has 4 more sacks after he posted 5 in one game last week. Garrett has been consistently one of, if not the, best edge rusher in the NFL since he began his career back in 2017. It would be hard for anybody to stack up with Garrett, but Hutchinson at least makes it close. Hutch has the edge in pressures, but Garrett has the edge in sacks and run defense. Over their careers, it’s actually pretty similar. Garrett has the edge in pressure rate and sack rate, but just barely. However, through their first 46 games, Hutch had more pressures with 204 to Garrett’s 186. As I said before, it would be hard for anyone to stack up against Garrett, but Hutchinson makes it a conversation. Garrett and Hutch are similar athletes, but I think I’d give a slight edge to Myles Garrett as he tested slightly better at the combine.

EDGE: Garrett, slightly. Obviously, Garrett has the edge in both run defense and pass rush, but its not by a very wide margin. Garrett might be the best edge rusher of our generation, so the fact Hutchinson is even close says a lot about his skillset. I think in a few years, they will be more closely compared, as the comparison is pretty close now.

COMPARISON vs CROSBY:

2025

Overall PFF Grade: Hutchinson: 92.2 (2nd). Crosby: 78.0 (23rd).

PFF Run Defense Grade: Hutch: 69.7. Crosby: 75.0.

Pressures: Hutch: 48. Crosby: 22.

Sacks: Hutch: 7.0. Crosby: 4.0.

CAREER

Pressure Rate: Hutch: 14.1%. Crosby: 12.54%.

Sack Rate: Hutch: 2.6%. Crosby: 1.82%.

Obviously, Hutchinson has Crosby beat in almost every way. PFF says he’s a better run defender, but I still think its very comparable. Hutch is pretty clearly the better pass rusher, though, and that is what these guys get the big money for. Hutch has him in PFF grades, pressures, and sacks, so pretty much every possible metric for edge rushers. As far as athleticism goes, I’d say it’s a tie. Hutch has the edge in size and strength, as well as quickness, but Crosby has the edge in every other way athletically.

EDGE: Hutch, pretty easily. Hutch has better stats in every way, and causes more disruption vs both the run and pass. Crosby is a very good player, but not quite what Hutch is on either level. Crosby has the better PFF run defense grade, but the eye test says they are about even there.

COMPARISON vs HENDRICKSON:

2025

Overall PFF Grade: Hutchinson: 92.2 (2nd). Hendrickson: 82.9 (17th).

PFF Run Defense Grade: Hutch: 69.7. Crosby: 56.8.

Pressures: Hutch: 48. Hendrickson: 23.

Sacks: Hutch: 7.0. Hendrickson: 4.0.

CAREER

Pressure Rate: Hutch: 14.1%. Hendrickson: 17.5%.

Sack Rate: Hutch: 2.6% Hendrickson: 2.65%

Hutch has the edge here, but by a smaller margin than with Crosby. Most people would assume Maxx Crosby is better than Trey Hendrickson, but based on these stats, its not true. However, Hutch is better, especially this season. Hendrickson has him slightly in career pressure rate and sack rate, but Hutch has the edge in total pressures, sacks, and PFF grades this season. Athletically, Hutch gets the edge as well, being a better athlete in every way.

EDGE: Hutch, by a bit. Not quite as big of a discrepancy as vs Crosby, but overall Hutch wins. They are similar in terms of pass rush, but Hutch is a better run defender. I also think that Hutch will only get better, where Hendrickson is past his prime already.

SUMMARY

While Parsons and Garrett both have slight edges over Hutch, there is an argument to be had either way. Obviously Garrett is probably the best edge of our generation, and Parsons could become that, but Hutchinson also has the potential to reach that level. Overall, I’d say Garrett, Parsons, and Hutch are in a tier by themselves, then guys like Crosby and Hendrickson are just below it. Point being, Aidan Hutchinson was definitely worth the money, and he is definitely one of the best edge rushers in the current NFL, and could go down as one of the best ever when its all said and done.

All statistics per NFL Pro/Pro Football Focus.

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