It’s not long before the Detroit Lions signed a massive 4-year, $180 million extension until 2030 with $141 million guaranteed, the most ever for a non-quarterback with Aidan Hutchinson. HC Dan Campbell and others were planning to do it for a long time. But things took time to work out between the player and the NFC North franchise. Now that it’s official, the Lions’ defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard had to give a strong message.

“What we do, that’s not normal. A lot of things (around the league) are hidden from coaches, a lot of things are hidden from players. But here, all you’ve got to do is take one trip upstairs,” he said about the deal. “You’ve got to be careful because you’re going to get told the truth, but you take one trip upstairs. And the trickle to coaches is, it’s easy to coach in that type of environment where you don’t have to wonder, you don’t have to guess… So, I’m very thankful to be a part of this organization.”

Sheppard has been on both sides of the sport. He played his last season for the Lions in 2018 as a linebacker. 2 years later, he joined them as outside linebackers coach in 2021. They promoted him to linebackers coach in 2022. This year, he became the defensive coordinator. So, Aidan Hutchinson’s extension has come at the right time.

The Lions have a 5-2 record and 2nd in the NFC North. Hutchinson didn’t just change the Lions’ defense. He helped change Dan Campbell’s whole team. In 46 games (all starters), he has recorded 138 tackles (93 solo), 78 QB hits, 34.5 sacks, 1 defended pass, and  4 forced fumbles.

That’s why the head coach is also excited about the extension.

Dan Campbell happy with extension for his ‘pillar’

From the day the DE walked into the Lions’ facility as the No. 2 overall pick in 2022, Campbell saw something different. The rookie didn’t talk much, but when he did, people listened. He worked like a veteran, played with intensity, and showed that Detroit’s gritty culture could actually win games. So, he was in favor of signing the big extension.

“Hutch is a pillar for us! He’s a complete football player…he sets edges in the run game, disrupts QBs in the pass game and has awareness and feel in coverage when asked to drop,” Dan Campbell’s message to Sports Illustrated‘s Albert Breer read. “Complete! Fired up to have him long term!”

Even when Hutchinson broke his leg in 2024, he still helped Campbell. He stayed around the team during recovery, helping younger defenders with film and technique. Because of his consistent performance, they rank 6th in the league in sacks (23). General manager Brad Holmes began talks with Hutchinson’s camp back at the NFL Combine in February and made it clear the Lions had no plans to let their hometown star go anywhere else.

Over the last two years, Holmes has locked in several franchise players, QB Jared Goff ($212 million), WR Amon-Ra St. Brown ($120 million), and RT Penei Sewell ($112 million), while still keeping a healthy salary cap. According to Over the Cap, the Lions project to stay in strong financial shape, with over $26 million in cap space for 2027 and more than $60 million for 2028.

Rookies like RG Tate Ratledge and LG Christian Mahogany have also stepped up and taken care of the team when it mattered. Dan Campbell is putting full force behind his players. They have a common dream. A Super Bowl! Will their fate change this year?

Stay tuned as we will keep bringing more stories for you.