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Detroit Lions edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson is raring and ready to go as he prepares for his fifth season in the NFL. During his most recent meeting with the media, he talked about his mentality as he moves completely past his devastating injury from 2024. He also explains how he's about as confident as he can be as a pass rusher. He also discusses the new edge rushers that he'll be working with as he and his team get ready for the upcoming season.
It's great. I feel, you know, Derrick [Moore], DJ [Wonnum] Payton [Turner], I mean, all those guys. We've been gelling early, which is good to see. You know, Derrick is like a quieter rookie, which I appreciate. You know, it's nice to have someone who you know he's about to work, and you know what he's going to come out and do every day. So I really appreciate the way he's worked. DJ, obviously a vet, he's been great. We've been trying to build the connection, you got to, as edge rushers, you got to feel each other out a little bit and see what the vibe is. And it's been great.
Yeah, I mean, we're two years out, about, I mean, ish, so it's really, it's passed. I think I'm really happy. Like with last year, with what I did with a lot, there was a lot going on, whether that be contract, whether that be expectations from people seeing me break my leg, whether it's just there was a lot of stuff that happened last year that people were awaiting. So to have the production that I had, I'm really happy with how last year went. I think this year I got to have a full off season to train and get my body right and mentally be in tip top shape. So it's, I think it's just a matter of time.
I feel like heading into year five, I do feel complete in a sense of pass rush. Your pass rush kind of evolves and it grows throughout the years, and there are wrinkles that you put in, but I feel like I have an answer for everything now. Someone might throw something different at me and might change it up, but like I feel like I have the answers and the knowledge to like figure it out, you know. And even if something happens in game, you get to the bench, you can go, 'Okay, he's doing this, let me do this, let me do that now.' So it's a 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.
It's a fine line, you know. I don't really know — sometimes it's like overtime, I'm not coming out, it's a fourth quarter, I'm not really coming out. I think, more towards the end of the season last year, we started being a little bit more deliberate about 'Hey, I'm going to take these first two plays off of this drive,' and I did feel it in the fourth quarter. It really helps, just taking a couple off here and there, it helps.
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Hutchinson on his new edge rusher teammates...
It's great. I feel, you know, Derrick [Moore], DJ [Wonnum] Payton [Turner], I mean, all those guys. We've been gelling early, which is good to see. You know, Derrick is like a quieter rookie, which I appreciate. You know, it's nice to have someone who you know he's about to work, and you know what he's going to come out and do every day. So I really appreciate the way he's worked. DJ, obviously a vet, he's been great. We've been trying to build the connection, you got to, as edge rushers, you got to feel each other out a little bit and see what the vibe is. And it's been great.
Hutchinson on where he's at mentally after the injury in week 6 of the 2024 season...
Yeah, I mean, we're two years out, about, I mean, ish, so it's really, it's passed. I think I'm really happy. Like with last year, with what I did with a lot, there was a lot going on, whether that be contract, whether that be expectations from people seeing me break my leg, whether it's just there was a lot of stuff that happened last year that people were awaiting. So to have the production that I had, I'm really happy with how last year went. I think this year I got to have a full off season to train and get my body right and mentally be in tip top shape. So it's, I think it's just a matter of time.
Hutchinson on where his confidence is as a pass rusher...
I feel like heading into year five, I do feel complete in a sense of pass rush. Your pass rush kind of evolves and it grows throughout the years, and there are wrinkles that you put in, but I feel like I have an answer for everything now. Someone might throw something different at me and might change it up, but like I feel like I have the answers and the knowledge to like figure it out, you know. And even if something happens in game, you get to the bench, you can go, 'Okay, he's doing this, let me do this, let me do that now.' So it's a 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.
Hutchinson on playing the second-most snaps as an edge rusher last season...
It's a fine line, you know. I don't really know — sometimes it's like overtime, I'm not coming out, it's a fourth quarter, I'm not really coming out. I think, more towards the end of the season last year, we started being a little bit more deliberate about 'Hey, I'm going to take these first two plays off of this drive,' and I did feel it in the fourth quarter. It really helps, just taking a couple off here and there, it helps.
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