One major task for the Detroit Lions this offseason is securing a long-term deal for star pass rusher Aidan Hutchinson. On Wednesday, the first major move in the edge rusher market happened when the Las Vegas Raiders gave Maxx Crosby a three-year, $106.5 million extension, per multiple reports.
That’s an average of $34.5 million per year, the highest ever for a defensive player. Notably, the deal includes $91.5 million guaranteed—roughly 86% of the added money.
Despite recovering from an injury, Hutchinson could surpass those numbers. At 24, he’s younger than Crosby (27) and matched his 7.5 sacks last season despite missing seven more games. Plus, this would be Hutchinson’s first extension after his rookie contract.
As Adam Schefter noted, Hutchinson isn’t the only star edge rusher due for a big payday. Trey Hendrickson, Myles Garrett, T.J. Watt, and Micah Parsons are also in line for new contracts this year.
If Detroit and Hutchinson aren’t ready to finalize a deal, the Lions could buy time by picking up his fifth-year option. That would serve as a one-year, $19.9 million extension, keeping him under contract through 2026.
It’s unclear where negotiations stand, but at last week’s NFL Combine, Lions GM Brad Holmes hinted discussions were underway. “We have one that’s due for an extension, and we’ve already kind of gotten to the planning stages about him already,” Holmes said.