Detroit Lions officially sign Aidan Hutchinson to rookie contract

The Detroit Lions were happy to see former Michigan Wolverines star defensive end Aidan Hutchinson fall to them at the No. 2 overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. Now, the Lions have locked up Hutchinson on his rookie deal.

Mike McCartney, Hutchinson’s agent, took to Twitter to share the news on Monday morning.

“Thrilled for @aidanhutch97 agreeing to terms for his rookie contract with the @Lions,” McCartney tweeted.

NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero revealed additional details on Hutchinson’s deal, tweeted specifics shortly after McCartney revealed that the deal had been signed.

“Aidan Hutchinson’s four-year contract with the #Lions is worth $35,713,388, including a $23,153,372 signing bonus,” Pelissero tweeted.

Hutchinson had a monster season as a senior at Michigan in 2021, finishing as the runner-up for the Heisman Trophy. He finished the year with 62 tackles, 16.5 tackles for loss, 14 sacks, three passes defended, two forced fumbles, and one fumble recovery. In his four-year collegiate career, Hutchinson totaled 156 tackles, 27.5 tackles for loss, and 17.5 sacks.

He was also a consensus All-American and a two-time All-Big Ten selection.

Hutchinson is joining his childhood favorite team with the Lions

When the Lions selected Hutchinson, they brought him back to his hometown favorite team. Hutchinson grew up rooting for Detroit, and now he has the opportunity to suit up for the team he grew up watching.

Hutchinson was born in 2000, and he has seen the Lions play in just three playoff games. Detroit is 122-229-2 in Hutchinson’s lifetime. He knows that the recent memory isn’t great for the fanbase, but Hutchinson believes that better times are ahead.

“Not a ton of great memories,” Hutchinson said. “We went through the 0-16 season when I was growing up. I’ve been to a couple Lions games before and the atmosphere is great. When the Lions are winning ballgames, it’s like, ‘Happy wife, happy life.’ The fans are so into it. I just hope that when we got the right pieces coming in, I think the coaches are right, I think we can get this ball rolling a little bit.”