Aidan Hutchinson pleased with his 2025, aspires to be Defensive Player of the Year in 2026

Lions defensive end Aidan Hutchinson was asked at Organized Team Activities if he has aspirations to be the NFL’s Defensive Player of the Year for the 2026 season, and he confirmed that he wants to be recognized as the best.

“Do I have aspirations for Defensive Player of the Year? Yeah, the mentality is always that, for sure,” Hutchinson said.

In 2024, Hutchinson was the betting favorite to win Defensive Player of the Year before his season ended with a gruesome leg injury. In 2025, Hutchinson says, he was happy to show he could get back on the field, and to sign a long-term contract extension with the Lions.

“I’m really happy with last year, with what I did with a lot going on, whether that be contract, whether that be expectation from people seeing me break my leg, there was a lot of stuff that happened last year,” Hutchinson said. “To have the production I had, I’m really happy with how last year went, and this year, I got to have a full offseason to train and get my body right.”