Contrary to Williams’ NFL journey, Hutchinson got off to a roaring start with his hometown Lions.
He logged 9.5 sacks in Year 1 and placed second in Defensive Rookie of the Year voting before logging 11.5 sacks on the way to his first Pro Bowl in 2023. His speed bump came last season, amid Williams’ best year, as a broken leg ended his season after just five games. Despite limited action, Hutchinson was quite clearly on his way to his best campaign yet — he led the squad with 7.5 sacks.
The longer timeline makes sense for Hutchinson for a handful of reasons. Although all reports of his post-injury play have been sterling, it would still be comforting for the Lions to see him all the way back on the field, in real regular-season action, as they continue to hash out a deal. Beyond that, Hutchinson is set to make top-of-the-line money at his position.
The edge market has exploded this offseason, with the Raiders’ Maxx Crosby, Texans’ Danielle Hunter, Browns’ Myles Garrett, Steelers’ T.J. Watt and Packers’ Micah Parsons all taking turns resetting the market. Parsons was the most recent to do so following his trade from the Cowboys to Green Bay, and his $46.5 million average annual salary is a whopping $5.5 million more than Watt’s average of $41 million, which is currently the second-highest number.
Hutchinson has an astronomical bar to aim for, and he’s every bit deserving of whatever he eventually gets.
For now, though, he settles in for the season ahead under contract for this year and next.
Williams is locked in to a long-term deal, and the Lions will be off and rolling on Sunday against the rival Packers at 4:25 p.m. ET.