Nothing Compares to Practicing in Pads for Detroit Lions Aidan Hutchinson

Entering his fifth NFL season, Aidan Hutchinson has clearly cemented his status as one of the top defensive players in the league today. Yet, as he readies himself for the 2026 campaign, the star EDGE defender remains as committed as ever to improving his game with each practice snap.

And to Hutchinson, there is nothing on par with practicing in pads. He views such as a vital part of getting himself in playing shape each season.

“The first time you’re kind of putting on pads for the year, you’ve got that little bit of butterfly feeling, like it’s a new year, kind of wipe the slate clean of whatever happened last year, good or bad,” Hutchinson said during a segment on SiriusXM NFL Radio's 2026 “Training Camp Tour” show. “It’s good to get these reps. Me personally, it’s like you can condition as much as you want in the offseason, but until you get those pads on, the weight, the sweat, the water, everything hanging down on you, then you’re doing tempo, it’s like, those are very valuable reps to have to continue to grow that conditioning to kind of get you in football shape.”

Equipped with a relentless motor and an insatiable desire to be the best, Hutchinson refuses to be outworked.

Just check out a practice in Allen Park, and you’ll see he “empties the tank” on every single rep, regardless of whether he’s going up against a rookie lineman or a seasoned vet.

It’s played a large part in why the University of Michigan product has thrived since being drafted by Detroit No. 2 overall in the 2022 NFL Draft.

And thus far this summer, the Pro Bowl pass-rusher has received work rushing both from the left and right side of the defensive line. Subsequently, he’s gone head-to-head with both rookie Blake Miller and veteran Larry Borom on the right side and All-Pro Penei Sewell on the left side.

Hutchinson views these reps as valuable opportunities to experiment and ultimately become even more proficient at getting after the quarterback.

And whenever he does secure a sack, it instantaneously pumps up Lions defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard.

The Dearborn (Mich.) Divine Child High School graduate loves playing for the passionate second-year play-caller.

“He’s intense. He’s super fierce, and has that ability to command the room,” Hutchinson said of the former Detroit linebackers coach. “And that’s what I think makes him so enticing as a coach, and man, I think his ability to adjust, from what I’ve seen from the start of last year to where we’re at now, is the biggest growth I’ve seen in him.

“And he’s a guy that’s not afraid to drop his pride and say, ‘Hey, look, this was a bad call. That’s on me. You know we’re not going to put you in that situation. B.B. (Brian Branch), Kerby (Joseph), we’re not going to put you in that, we’re going to adjust. And by the end of last year, I felt like we were really all clicking on the same page.”

Headed into 2026, Hutchinson hopes that the Lions’ defense – the 22nd-ranked unit last season (24.3 points per game) – will be able to make the necessary adjustments to keep up with the league’s ever-changing offenses.

“The game of football is a constant evolution,” Hutchinson said. “Someone may figure out your tendency and then you go, ‘Okay, they see that. Let’s now move it farther.’ It’s that snowball and you just keep on rolling.”

As an NFL franchise, you can’t afford to stay stagnant. You must make tweaks to your roster each offseason, and one of the best ways of doing so is through the draft.

It’s something Detroit has done well during the Dan Campbell-Brad Holmes regime. The organization has drafted a slew of difference-making talent, including Hutchinson and Sewell, since the aforementioned duo took over in 2021.

And now the tandem hopes it will garner similarly positive returns from its seven-player 2026 draft class. One of the players part of that class is former Michigan standout Derrick Moore, who was drafted in the second round by Holmes & Co.

Hutchinson envisions a solid career for the rookie EDGE rusher.

“I think he’s going to be a stud, man,’’ Hutchinson expressed. “He’s got the makings for it, mentally, just his physical toughness out there. He’s a guy that will just throw his head down and get in there, whatever it takes. But, he’s also got the finesse that comes with that. I’m really excited to see how he continues to progress and develop.

“And rookie year is going to have its ups and downs. It’s going to be pretty much (the same) as everybody’s rookie year. But, I think in the long term, I think he’s got it. He’s got what it takes to be great.”

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