Following what will be the final preseason game of their schedule on Saturday afternoon against the Indianapolis Colts, the Detroit Lions will begin preparations to get their 2026 campaign underway.
And one of the biggest components of what they anticipate being a successful season is defensive end and captain Aidan Hutchinson, who posted elite numbers for the club in 2025 despite their ultimately finishing on the outside looking in at the NFL postseason.
For Hutchinson, he’ll once again have to be at his best if the Lions are to return to the postseason and their place atop the NFC North Division, and one key Detroit insider believes that’s on deck.
Detroit Lions Beat Writer Dave Birkett Predicts Major Things In Store For Aidan Hutchinson In 2026
According to longtime Lions beat writer Dave Birkett of The Detroit Free Press, Hutchinson is in store for some big things in the upcoming 2026 season.
“I look for Aiden to have a really good year,” Birkett said earlier in the week. “I mean, he’s looked great in camp. And if they can get some consistent play, it doesn’t even have to be from another edge, right? If it’s Alim McNeil inside, if it’s DJ Wonnum on the outside – whoever it is, if they can get one other really consistent player up front, then this defensive front could be, you know, top half of the NFL. Maybe even top-10 good.”
Hutchinson, who returned last season after suffering what was a devastating leg injury against the Dallas Cowboys in 2024, was among the best players at his position in the NFL.
Hutchinson turned in the best statistical season of his career, recording 14.5 sacks, 54 tackles, 14 tackles for loss and 35 quarterback hits while earning his second Pro Bowl selection. His 100 total pressures led the NFL, while he also ranked third in quarterback hits, second with four forced fumbles and fourth in sacks.
Understandably, he’s feeling confident as he enters his fifth campaign in the NFL after being selected in the opening round (second overall pick) out of the University of Michigan in the 2022 NFL Draft.
“I feel like heading into Year 5, I do feel complete, in a sense of pass rush,” he said. “Your pass rush kind of evolves and it grows throughout the years. There are wrinkles that you put in, but I feel like I have an answer for everything now.
“I feel like I have the answers and the knowledge to figure it out. I feel like the knowledge of the game, knowledge of pass rush, my own development, it’s at a point where I feel really, really confident.”
The Lions Wrap Up The Preseason On Saturday Against The Colts
The Lions are currently taking on the Colts at Lucas Oil Field in downtown Indianapolis, the final exhibition contest of their schedule before the real fun begins.
Following the game, the Lions will turn their attention toward their impending home opener at Ford Field against the visiting New Orleans Saints, marking the first time that the NFC South opponent will have visited the Motor City since the 2014 season.
Top Lions Insider Issues Bold Aidan Hutchinson Prediction