The Lions intend to extend Aidan Hutchinson, but it might happen on his timeline more than theirs. GM Brad Holmes said Wednesday that the two sides haven't "had really any intense talks yet" on a new deal.
"Look, we’ll definitely get some dialogue going soon here, but those things take time, especially the larger the deal is," Holmes said on 97.1 The Ticket.
Holmes acknowledged, obviously, that "it’s very important" to get Hutchinson locked up for the long haul. Hutchinson, who's dominated in training camp coming off a fractured leg, just might prefer to let the market for edge rushers continue to climb before he puts pen to paper, with Micah Parsons next in line to sign a mega deal.
The market was already re-set several times this offseason, first by Maxx Crosby of the Raiders at $35 million per year, then by Myles Garrett of the Browns at $40 million and most recently by T.J. Watt of the Steelers at $41 million.
"It's a beautiful thing, isn't it?" Hutchinson said at the start of camp. "It’s awesome. Really, it’s great for the market. I feel very blessed that I’m in such a position of high value."
Hutchinson is under contract through 2026, with the Lions having picked up his $19.8 million fifth-year option.
As for the player on the field, Holmes raved about the way Hutchinson has looked 10 months removed from breaking his tibia and fibula last season when he was playing at an All-Pro level.
"And I’m really not all that surprised just because tracking him since college, since his early days Michigan, he had that (fractured ankle) at Michigan and he came back, I think nobody would argue, a better player. I don’t want to say it’s exactly the same because the games haven’t kicked off yet, but what he’s showing in practice, the change of direction, the explosiveness, I mean, he’s not (showing) any effects," said Holmes. "But I’m not surprised when a guy like him has that kind of mindset."
To help offset the loss of Hutchinson last season, the Lions traded for veteran defensive end Za'Darius Smith. They wound up cutting him this offseason in a cap-saving move, but have maintained contact with his camp and are still interested in bringing him back.
"Za'Darius did a lot of good things last year for us and we said we’re going to keep in contact with his agent, but everything’s not just one-sided. Za'Darius has expectations, the team has expectations, so sometimes it takes a while for those things to get on the same page. Especially a guy that’s been in the league as long as he has, I’m not saying that he doesn’t want to be in training ca, but if he misses some time, there’s obviously still interest there and we’ve been keeping in touch," said Holmes.
Smith, an 11-year vet, has been public about his desire to rejoin the Lions, saying in June, "Hopefully I can get back to where I want to be in Detroit."
He had nine sacks in 17 games last season, including four in eight games with Detroit. He was tied for third in the NFL during his stint with the Lions in QB pressures, per Pro Football Focus, trailing only Parsons and Garrett.