Aidan Hutchinson has been unstoppable at Detroit Lions training camp, so the team had to introduce a new practice rule.
According to Tim Twentyman of Lions.com, head coach Dan Campbell has had to use the Hutch Rule at times during the team period of practice. The rule allows the offense to keep running the play even if Hutchinson beats his man and has a sack. This allows the offense to get more reps in.
“Aidan Hutchinson has been so dominant for most of Lions training camp that head coach Dan Campbell sometimes has to adopt the Hutch rule at practice,” Twentyman wrote. “The Hutch rule is when Hutchinson beats his man and likely has a sack on a play but they don’t blow the whistle and continue the rep so the offense can get their work in during team periods.”
Despite suffering a serious leg injury just ten months ago, Hutchinson looks better than ever. The 2022 No.2 overall pick was on pace for a historic 2024 season before injuring his leg in Week 6, tallying 7.5 sacks and 45 quarterback pressures in just five games.
The Lions will need Hutchinson to play at an All-Pro level in 2025. Outside of the Michigan product, Detroit lacks much juice in the pass-rushing department, though Marcus Davenport and rookie sixth-round pick Ahmed Hassanein are also having nice camps.
In his last fully healthy season in 2023, Hutchinson tallied 11.5 sacks and 101 quarterback pressures in 17 games. The 24-year-old also earned a Pro Bowl nod and established himself as one of the most prolific pass rushers in the sport.
Hutchinson is eligible for a contract extension, and according to general manager Brad Holmes, there haven’t been intense talks on a new deal for the standout edge rusher.
That likely means the Lions are waiting until next offseason to extend Hutchinson, so if the star defender can post a career-year in 2025, he’ll be in line for a historic extension in 2026.
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