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Jared Goff is always going to get the headlines in Detroit, and that’s part of the job.
He’s helped turn the Lions from a team that hoped to compete into one that expects to win. But if you’re looking beyond the quarterback, one name rises to the top without much debate: Aidan Hutchinson.
Hutchinson has become the face of Detroit’s defense, and it’s easy to see why. He has a knack for showing up at the right moment, whether it’s collapsing the pocket or making an offense throw out part of its game plan before kickoff. Players like that don’t just fill up the box score. They change the way games unfold.
That’s what makes Hutchinson so important to this team. Detroit is a much tougher team because of him. The Lions are a better team because of him, too.
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None of that takes away from what Penei Sewell means to this franchise. You could make a strong case that he’s the best offensive tackle in football, and everything the Lions want to do offensively starts with him. He gives Goff time to work, opens running lanes and sets the tone every Sunday. He’s the protection that Goff needs.
Still, Hutchinson brings something different. A dominant pass rusher can flip momentum in a single series, and there aren’t many players in the league who do that as consistently when they’re healthy.
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Goff will continue to lead the offense, Sewell will keep doing the dirty work up front and Hutchinson will keep making life hard, and harder, for opposing quarterbacks. When it comes to Detroit’s most important non-quarterback, though, it’s hard to look anywhere else than Hutch.
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