The Detroit Lions are looking ahead to the future of the franchise, and that means locking down guys with extended contracts before they have a chance to start looking elsewhere. They’ve already gone through a ton of coaching changes during the offseason, most notably losing Aaron Glenn to the New York Jets and Ben Johnson to the Chicago Bears.
Even with the coaching changes, when it comes to players, the Lions remain mostly intact, at least for now. Unfortunately, last season, one of the team’s biggest stars, edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson, experienced a broken left tibia and fibula in Week 6 against the Dallas Cowboys. That took him out for the rest of the season, but he’s expected to make a full return in 2025.
Detroit Lions Aidan Hutchinson News
The Lions could work out an extension with Hutchinson during the offseason, and given that he’s one of the team’s best players, many fans would love to see this Michigan graduate with the team for years to come.
Lions general manager Brad Holmes spoke with the media on Tuesday, February 25, during the NFL Scouting Combine and dropped a big update about Hutchinson, saying that the team is in the planning stages of an extension for him. Hutchinson has appeared in 39 career games and clocked 82 solo tackles, 30 TFLs, 65 QB hits and, what he’s known for, 28.5 sacks.
Holmes was also asked if the Lions has the budget to sign another premier pass rusher with the rising cost of it, to which he said likely not.
So, don’t expect any huge-named pass rushers added to the roster this time around.
Dan Campbell Shares Coaching Update
Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell also spoke with reporters on Tuesday from the NFL Combine and discussed the major changes on his coaching staff. It’s one of the first times Campbell has gotten really in-depth about the state of the Lions’ coaches, so his appearance, of course, was of great interest.
“I told Ben (Johnson) and A.G. (Aaron Glenn) the same thing when they were leaving,” Campbell said. “The most important thing you’ll have to do is hire your staff. I had to do that already one time, and then over the course of the last four years, other coaches that have come and gone.”
Campbell elaborated, stating, “This is kind of phase two, to reload the coordinators and different position coaches. I wanted to take my time and do it right. A lot of interviews, a lot. Really sat them down, got to know them. Figure them out a little bit. The football is there, but it’s really about the match and the chemistry. I’m big on that, so that was a big part of it. I think we got it right.”
Campbell also elaborated on the statement that he’s been doing a lot of interviews to get the coaching staff correct. When asked how many interviews he conducted to find the right candidates for his coaching staff, he dropped a big number, saying that he knows it was around 24, but “somebody told me it was 26…but, a lot.”
