How less could be more for Aidan Hutchinson

On the first play of an end-of-game drive to close Wednesday's practice, the offense down 31-24 and starting near midfield with a little over three minutes to play, Aidan Hutchinson beat Blake Miller for a likely sack of Jared Goff. On the last play of the drive, a two-point attempt after the offense had scored a touchdown (on a favorable goal-line ruling) with seconds to spare, Hutchinson busted through the other side of the line and blew up a play-action concept before Goff could even look for a receiver.

Goff, in playful exasperation, ran after Hutchinson and pretended to tackle him from behind: Dude! Enough.

Hutchinson has been such a problem for the Lions' offense in camp that Campbell often lets plays continue when No. 97 clearly gets home for a sack.

"You kind of have to do that a little bit, otherwise you won't get a lot done," Campbell said. "But yeah, he's a pain, man. He's definitely a pain, but I'm glad he's our pain."

Hutchinson was still in pain at times last season a year removed from breaking his leg. It was nothing that necessarily limited him -- "just some things where I was a little sore," he said -- more of a nagging reminder that his body, in some ways, was still recovering. After being off his feet for several months, Hutchinson was trying to rebuild his football endurance. Now he's feeling much freer.

"Coming into this year, no sleeve, no pad on this thing, I’m not really even thinking about it anymore," Hutchinson said at the start of camp. "So much of last year was the comeback, the injury, I’m sure people were wondering if I’d be the same, better, whatever it is. And this year I feel like all my focus is on football, on the D-line, on this team."

Hutchinson finished fourth in the NFL in sacks last season with 14.5, one off the Lions' single-season franchise record that record-holder Robert Porcher hopes he breaks. He finished first in quarterback pressures with 100. Only three players in the last 10 seasons have had more: Micah Parsons in 2023, Maxx Crosby in 2021 and Aaron Donald in 2017.

Yet the question remains. People are still wondering: will Hutchinson be -- even -- better?

"Every year it’s these little things that give you an edge, and that’s the pass rush development, my own physical development," Hutchinson said. "At the ripe age of 26 years old, I’d say I’m still not in my prime yet. Every year I have a growth mindset and it’s really about, how can I develop my game, my pass rush, because as I evolve and teams send more reinforcements my way, that forces me to evolve in my own way again."

The Lions are evolving, too. They parted ways with Marcus Davenport after two injury-wrecked seasons and brought in D.J. Wonnum to set the edge opposite Hutchinson. They drafted Derrick Moore in the second round to add another pass-rusher to the mix. They have the pieces, at least on paper, to lighten Hutchinson's load -- and further lift his impact. Can less be more?

Hutchinson was the only defensive end in the NFL last season to play 1,000 snaps. He rarely got more than five snaps off in a game. Of course the Lions want their best defensive player on the field as much as possible, especially the one they signed for $45 million per year. As defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard said with a grin, "You guys come down on game day and try to tell him he's off the field."

But could Hutchinson benefit from a few extra blows per game?

"All jokes aside, absolutely," said Sheppard.

"Yeah," Campbell said Thursday, "we'd like to be able to do that."

Or just take it from Hutchinson himself: "I think so, man. We started doing that a little bit later last year and my production was going up toward the second half of the year. I really think it’s good for me, man."

Indeed, after playing about 93 percent of the defensive snaps in Detroit's first 13 games, Hutchinson was down to about 83 percent in the final four games. He had six sacks in those games. Myles Garrett played 82 percent of his team's defensive snaps last year while setting the NFL's single-season record with 23 sacks. Brian Burns played 77 percent of his team's snaps and finished second in the league in sacks.

Hutchinson logged about 130 snaps more than both of them, or about eight more per game.

Let him be clear: Hutchinson loves being a workhorse. He loves being out there more than almost any player on defense. And in crunch time, he has to be out there: "Like, overtime, I’m not coming out," he said. "Fourth quarter, I’m not really coming out." But in those middle series in the second and third quarter, Hutchinson and the Lions learned last season that a few more breathers can go a long way.

"We started being a little bit more deliberate about, 'Hey, I’m gonna take these first two plays off of this drive,'" he said. "And I did feel it in the fourth quarter. It really helps, just taking a couple off here and there, it helps the conditioning."

Moore was a monster in Wednesday's practice. He was a menace on third down. He likely won't play a ton out of the gate after missing time in camp with a groin injury, but he's already carving out a role as a situational pass-rusher. The night that Brad Holmes drafted him, he was discussing what Moore will bring to Detroit's defense and pointed right to the fact that "Hutch takes a lot of snaps, man," hence the value in "having another body that can spell Hutch in that rush rotation."

"It's hard to take him off the field because he does so much for us and he doesn't get tired," said Campbell. "He doesn't wear down. He just keeps coming. But we also know, man, if we can take some off of him, it's only going to help. Not only now, but long term. That's in our mind. And that's why it's important for a guy like Derrick Moore to come on."

And for a guy like Alim McNeill to bounce back at full health, as he has been at camp. And for a guy like Tyleik Williams to take a jump in year two. The Lions lacked true difference-makers on the defensive line last season without Hutchinson on the field. That should not be the case this season.

Sheppard has a certain date in mind. He knows that "asking a guy to go out and play 90, 95 percent of the snaps at defensive end, where it's shock and shed every play" is probably too much -- especially over the course of 20-plus weeks as "you try to push to February 14th." That marks the last game of the NFL season. The Lions intend to be playing in it.

It will help them get there, said Sheppard, if they can still collapse an offensive line when Hutchinson's catching his breath. And if Hutchinson understands that when he's tired, "Let me tap my head and let my brother come get some."