After signing a contract extension with the Detroit Lions, where does Aidan Hutchinson rank on the list of the top 10 highest-paid NFL edge rushers?
Aidan Hutchinson Inks Contract Extension
— Detroit Lions (@Lions) October 29, 2025
The Lions have locked up their best defensive player for the foreseeable future.
Per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero, Hutchinson and the Lions have agreed to a four-year, $180 million contract extension, with $141 million in total guarantees. The contract has a 2029 injury guarantee worth $29 million that becomes a full guarantee in March 2028.
Hutchinson’s $141 million guaranteed is an NFL record for a non-quarterback.
Drafted No. 2 in 2022, Hutchinson was under contract through 2026, with the Lions picking up his fifth-year option. Now, Hutchinson becomes one of the wealthiest defensive ends in the game.
After missing most of 2024 with a foot injury, Hutchinson is off to a fast start for the Detroit Lions. Hutchinson is tied for seventh in the NFL with six sacks. Hutchinson’s 49 quarterback pressures are third behind Green Bay’s Micah Parsons and Denver’s Nik Bonitto.
Hutchinson, 25, is the anchor of the Detroit Lions’ defense. Hutchinson’s injury in 2024 weakened the Lions’ defensive line, which finished in the bottom 10 for sacks.
With Hutchinson back in the lineup, the Lions are tied for fifth in the league in sacks (23).
Top 10 Highest-Paid Edge Rushers
| Player | Team | Total Contract Value | Average Salary |
| Micah Parsons | Green Bay Packers | $186 million | $46.5 million |
| Aidan Hutchinson | Detroit Lions | $180 million | $45 million |
| T.J. Watt | Pittsburgh Steelers | $123 million | $41 million |
| Myles Garrett | Cleveland Browns | $160 million | $40 million |
| Danielle Hunter | Houston Texans | $35.6 million | $35.6 million |
| Maxx Crosby | Las Vegas Raiders | $106.5 million | $35.5 million |
| Nick Bosa | San Francisco 49ers | $170 million | $34 million |
| Trey Hendrickson | Cincinnati Bengals | $29 million | $29 million |
| Joshua Hines-Allen | Jacksonville Jaguars | $141.25 million | $28.25 million |
| Brian Burns | New York Giants | $141 million | $28.2 million |
With the new contract, where does Hutchinson fall in the hierarchy of the highest-paid edge rushers?
Parsons remains the highest-paid edge rusher in the league. After being traded from the Dallas Cowboys, Parsons and his new team, the Green Bay Packers, agreed to a four-year, $186 million deal. With an average salary of $46.5 million, Parsons is the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history.
Hutchinson’s deal places him right behind Parsons as the only two non-QBs to be paid at least $45 million per year.
Pittsburgh’s T.J. Watt and Cleveland’s Myles Garrett are the other players who earn at least an average of $40 million per year.
This past year has seen the value of edge rushers skyrocket, as Hutchinson, Parsons, Watt, Garrett, Danielle Hunter, Maxx Crosby, and Nik Bonitto all signed new deals.
