Getty The Detroit Lions are getting warned about working out a contract extension with star edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson.
The Detroit Lions are months away from the season kicking off, and there’s a lots of excitement in the camp about what’s ahead. But, one of the big extensions that they still have to work out is star edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson. The more Detroit seems to back away from the idea of signing another superstar edge, the most important Hutchinson becomes to the team.
Now, the Lions are being cautioned about Hutchinson and the player’s contract extension.
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Time is of the Essence for the Detroit Lions
In a June 17 feature for Bleacher Report, Kristopher Knox names every NFL Team’s to-do tally for the rest of the 2025 offseason. In the piece, he notes that the NFL has “finally reached the quiet portion of the 2025 NFL offseason. Organized team activities (OTAs) and most mandatory minicamps are over, which means many players are essentially off until the start of training camps.”
But, the powers at be will still be working to ensure that their teams have everything they need going into the new season. As Knox puts it, “coaches, general managers and other team decision-makers will simply be idle over the next month. Whether it’s addressing roster holes, executing trades, signing players to new contracts or laying camp plans, every NFL team has something to accomplish before the end of the summer.”
For the Lions, the biggest priority, he says, is getting a contract extension done with Hutchinson.
“The 24-year-old is coming off a season-ending leg fracture but has proven himself worthy of a long-term deal,” Knox states. “With the pass-rusher market skyrocketing this offseason, signing Hutchinson before other young sack artists like Micah Parsons put pen to paper would be advisable.”
He adds, “While it would be great to have a healthy Hutchinson in training camp and under contract long-term, Detroit should be looking for more at the position. The defense recorded just 37 sacks as a unit last season. Za’Darius Smith ranked second behind Hutchinson with only four.”
Lions Need Another Star Edge
That brings us to Knox’s second to-do item for the Lions: Get a pass rusher. Considering that the Lions and Smith parted ways during the offseason, the Lions are weak in this area. It certainly gets me nervous. As Knox points out, they could bring Smith back, find someone else in free agency or make a big trade for Trey Hendrickson to improve in this area.
Finally, Knox believes it’s important for Detroit to integrate the team’s new offensive and defensive coordinators.
“We’ve seen double-coordinator changes prove problematic in the past,” Knox stated. “The Philadelphia Eagles went from being in the Super Bowl to collapsing down the stretch of the regular season after losing coordinators Shane Steichen and Jonathan Gannon during the 2023 offseason.”
He adds that the Lions “may be able to maintain some continuity on both sides of the ball. New defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard spent the past four seasons as a Lions linebackers coach. New offensive coordinator John Morton came over from Denver but was a senior offensive assistant with the Lions in 2022.”
Ben Johnson Could Snag Another Lions Favorite for the Bears
Getty Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson could take another star Detroit Lions player and bring him to Chicago.
The Chicago Bears are hoping for a blockbuster season in a few months when the season officially kicks off, and there’s a lots of hope behind new head coach Ben Johnson. But, there are still a few holes in the Bears’ lineup, and if they want to surround Caleb Williams with the kind of talent that he needs to thrive, they’ll have to look at that during the remaining part of the offseason.
It’s possible the Bears could bring in another Detroit Lions favorite to fill one of those remaining gaps in the lineup. That would likely make the Lions fanbase not too happy, which could make the Bears smile even more.
Another Detroit Lions Player to the Chicago Bears?
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In a June 17 feature for Bleacher Report, Kristopher Knox going through every NFL Team’s to-do tally for the rest of the 2025 offseason. In the piece, he notes that the NFL has “finally reached the quiet portion of the 2025 NFL offseason. Organized team activities (OTAs) and most mandatory minicamps are over, which means many players are essentially off until the start of training camps.”
For the Bears, the thing he wants to see the team to do is “install Ben Johnson’s offense.” But, he also wants to see the team sign another pass rusher.
“Defensively, Chicago could use another pass-rusher in its rotation,” he notes. “The Bears signed Dayo Odeyingbo to complement Montez Sweat, but the edge depth behind those two is questionable.”
Knox adds that, “Fortunately, proven pass-rushers like Za’Darius Smith, Preston Smith and Von Miller remain unsigned. It would be smart to add one of them before the start of camp.”
Lions fans likely know that name, Za’Darius Smith. He was instrumental for the Lions has season when Aidan Hutchinson was out with a season-ending injury. How wild would it be for Johnson to sign Smith, right when Detroit is also in need of another solid pass rusher?
Bears Urged to Bring on an Edge
In a June 17 piece for ChiCity Sports, Dan Fappiano names Smith as a free agent Johnson could target.
In the piece, he notes that “the Bears gave edge rusher Dayo Odeyingbo a three-year, $48 million contract during the offseason” and “he should form a potent tandem with Montez Sweat on the outside of Chicago’s defensive line.”
But, he notes that “the options behind that duo are all unheralded. Za’Darius Smith gives the Bears another proven edge rusher.”
Smith is a total veteran. The free agent will mark 11 years in the NFL in the 2025 season. Over the course of his career, he has made 333 tackles, 173 quarterback hits and 69 sacks.
“At this stage of his career, the veteran would function as a rotational pass rusher,” Fappiano notes. “But having to face off against Sweat and Odeyingbo right into Smith would strike fear into all opposing quarterbacks.”
Fappiano adds, “If Smith were to sign with the Bears, he will have officially played for every team in the NFC North. As Chicago looks for extra pass rush, his services may be exactly what the team needs.”
