Aidan Hutchinson's about to get paid. You know it, I know it, Albert Breer knows it. And at this point who else do we really need?
Every since about, I dunno, halfway through his rookie season, it's been widely assumed that Hutchinson is going to ink one of the largest non-QB deals the NFL has ever seen. Being the highest-paid non-QB is very en vogue this offseason, and right now the honor belongs to both Cleveland's Myles Garrett and Cincinnati's Ja'Marr Chase.
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But, soon enough, it'll be Hutchinson. The more interesting question right now is what the deal looks like. That's where our close personal friend Albert comes in handy – he took a stab at guessing the details we so desperately crave in his latest NFL mailbag, and the numbers are exactly as staggering as you're expecting them to be.
Aidan Hutchinson is about to get a ton of money from the Lions
"I think that the new-money average per year on the new contract probably has to start with a “4” now ... That said, there’s a trick to all of this if you get Hutchinson done now," he said. "He has $25.45 million due to him over the next two years—which gets folded into the new contract. So let’s say he, for example, does a four-year, $160 million extension with the Detroit Lions, which would take him through the 2030 season. In that circumstance, the real money on the deal would be $185.45 million over six years, or an average of $30.9 million per year. I think that’s a good deal for anyone, given the type of player Hutchinson has become, and a good example of drafting well and paying your own early rather than chasing someone else’s free agents."
Getting $40 million per year – even if that's more of a flashy, creatively-fudged technicality – is insane. $40 million! Per year! Say that out loud a few times and just let it hang in the air. It's not that Hutchinson doesn't deserve it, because he absolutely does – it's just kinda wild to think about. I wonder if it's too late to go back to school and learn to be an edge rusher? I'm not going to worry about how this affects the Lions' cap going forward because that's a huge buzzkill and we'll all cross that bridge when we get there. Until then, you can find me slowly losing my mind while repeating '$40 million per year' and watching every single 'How To Improve Your Bullrush' videos on YouTube.