Vibes are immaculate in the Motor City right now. Not only have the Detroit Lions won five of their last six, playing at a Super Bowl-level in most of those games, but they have just extended Aidan Hutchinson, per ESPN's Adam Schefter. Hutchinson has been in extension rumors for a while, so it felt like it was a matter of when, not if, a deal would get done, but still - seeing the ink dry on the new deal is a surreal feeling.
Lions and Aidan Hutchinson reached agreement on a four year contract extension. pic.twitter.com/CSaQ86v6Vb
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 29, 2025
Lions fans have every reason to celebrate this signing. Hutchinson has established himself as not only one of the best players at his position, but also one of the most impactful players in the game. While he certainly got his money, he didn't even get the most money for a non-quarterback, which also feels like a win. While this deal should be celebrated by Lions fans, the fact that it brings them closer to an uncomfortable reality also can't be ignored.
In a league that has a salary cap, you can't keep everybody. This Hutchinson contract is a reminder of that. In the modern NFL, the teams that are most successful tend to use a draft-and-develop approach. Where this model is most tested is when those same picks – players like Hutchinson, mind you – are up for their next payday. Teams like the Cincinnati Bengals, Buffalo Bills and Baltimore Ravens have learned this the hard way, having to make hard decisions after signing their all-world quarterbacks to extensions that match their level of play. While the Lions are doing so at a different position, in inking Hutch to the contract of his dreams, it'll surely come with difficult conversations and less margin for error.
Aidan Hutchinson extension comes with dose of reality Lions fans must accept
The Lions have been in the Super Bowl conversation for a couple of years now, which is great, but the reality of the NFL is that it's really hard to keep Super Bowl-caliber rosters together for very long. Even teams we've seen go on dynastic runs in recent years, like the Kansas City Chiefs and New England Patriots, have had to let good players walk during their peak years.
There's only so much money the Lions can spend on stars when a 53-man roster has to be built. The Lions have done a great job locking in much of their core recently, but even beyond these big names, other stars have yet to get their big payday.
Recent Lions’ extensions:
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 29, 2025
🏈Aidan Hutchinson: 4-years, $180M
🏈Jared Goff: 4-years, $212M
🏈Amon-Ra St. Brown: 4-years, $120.01M
🏈Penei Sewell: 4-years, $112M
🏈Jameson Williams: 3-years, $80M
🏈Kerby Joseph: 4-years, $85M
🏈Alim McNeill: 4-years, $97M
🏈Taylor Decker: 3-years,…
Lions will have to make hard choices with upcoming free agents
Hutchinson is the Lions' best player, so getting him paid was imperative. Getting guys like Jared Goff, Amon-Ra St. Brown and Penei Sewell locked in was also crucial. While they've paid their share of players, the Lions have several upcoming free agents worth worrying about.
Player | Position | Free Agent Year |
|---|---|---|
Brian Branch | Safety | 2027 |
Sam LaPorta | Tight End | 2027 |
Jack Campbell | Linebacker | 2028 |
Jahmyr Gibbs | Running Back | 2028 |
There are four star players the Lions have on their roster who haven't gotten paid yet, and all four of these players are among the best at their position. This reality, on top of the guys they've already extended, leaves the Lions with two paths forward. They probably can figure out a way to extend all four of these guys, but that'd leave them with major depth concerns. The Lions would have the star power to win it all, but knowing how important depth is, can they afford to cheapen out in that area of the roster?
Look no further than the Bengals, which we mentioned earlier in this piece. Cincinnati chose to extend star wide receivers Tee Higgins and Ja'Marr Chase to keep Burrow happy. In doing so, they now have a gaping hole on the defensive side of the ball and an offense that simply cannot keep up. Will the Lions suffer a similar fate?
The other path would be letting one of these guys go to open up more money to round out the roster. This would allow the Lions to have a complete roster, but letting a star talent walk is not easy at all. It also means that Detroit will have to hit on more affordable talent to replace these stars in the draft. In that sense, the Buffalo Bills are a better template to follow. Despite paying Josh Allen all that money, Buffalo remains a competent contender in the AFC and were a preseason Super Bowl favorite.
It'll be interesting to see what Brad Holmes decides to do. Getting Hutchinson locked in was crucial, and that's now taken care of, but knowing that other guys need to get paid means that the Lions are far from out of the woods.