We all expected the Lions–Aidan Hutchinson saga to be sorted out before the season started. Well, so much for that. We’re almost through with week 1, and there’s quite literally nothing. But after Adam Schefter‘s latest update on the matter, there’s one thing we can say for sure: there won’t be any deal before the season starts today.

Yes, Schefter claimed that the talks have been ‘ongoing’ and ‘positive,’ but they are way too slow. And it’s almost impossible to reach a deal before the Lions’ opener. “Lions and Aidan Hutchinson have had positive contract conversations, but are not expected to reach a deal before the season starts today, per sources,” he wrote on X.

Let’s start with what we know. Detroit still has Hutchinson, the No. 2 overall pick of 2022, locked in on his rookie deal. The team picked up his fifth-year option back in April, which keeps him under contract through 2026 at about $19.87 million. That move buys the Lions a little more time. Probably why they haven’t committed yet.

Then there’s the cap math and logistics. Detroit hasn’t been shy about paying to keep its core together. Amon-Ra St. Brown, Penei Sewell, and others have already cashed in, while the team also handed David Montgomery a two-year extension in October 2024 and locked up Alim McNeill with a four-year deal later that year. So, offering a big bag to Hutchinson is going to do a number on their cap space.

And of course, there’s the fitness backdrop. Hutchinson’s season derailed in Week 6 against Dallas when he fractured both his tibia and fibula. That called for months of rehab and surgery. What makes it sting is how dominant he was before the break: 7.5 sacks and 30 pressures in five games, terrorizing tackles at a league-leading rate that had him looking like the defensive player of the year frontrunner.

And yes, reports said that Hutchinson is feeling good in camp. But you can’t really expect the Lions to commit to him with big-time money before seeing if he’s still that guy after the injury. Hence, the wait.

But this little update shouldn’t worry you too much. Detroit has done deals mid-season in the past. Just not yet for Hutch. Think of Montgomery and Alim McNeill’s extensions. It’s all about how he looks in some real snaps. So yes, they’re still a little unsure about banking on him. But as unsure as they are about Hutch, they’re just as sure about Jameson Williams.

Lions and Jameson Williams reach an $83 million extension

Yes, because while we wait for Hutchinson’s contract negotiation, according to Jordan Schultz, the Lions have agreed to a three-year, $83 million extension with $67 million guaranteed with WR Jameson Williams. Who’d have thought Williams would put pen to paper before Hutch?

But you can’t argue with the extension. Jameson Williams has carved out a bigger role in Detroit’s offense every year. After a quiet rookie season in 2022 with only six games, he came back in 2023 to play 12, hauling in 24 catches on 42 targets for 354 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

But the breakout came last year, when he racked up 1,000 receiving yards for the first time and found the end zone seven times as a receiver, eight overall. Oh, and his new deal slots him 13th in the league in average annual value. Sandwiched between Jaylen Waddle and DJ Moore.

But you can’t help but think about how this would make Hutchinson feel. Before signing the extension, Williams had a contract until 2026. And yet he up signing before him. But you need to take the money into account. Aidan Hutchinson is probably eyeing $50 million a year after Micah Parsons‘s Packers deal. Of course, the Lions would rather wait to see how he performs while locking in cheaper guys first.