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Detroit Lions edge rusher, Aidan Hutchinson, prior to the Lions’ Divisional Round matchup against the Washington Commanders, January 2025

The Dallas Cowboys have still yet to sign 2 x All Pro and former Defensive Rookie of the Year, Micah Parsons, to a long term extension.

And after missing opportunities to sign him last offseason and earlier this past offseason, the benchmark for the highest paid defensive players has now risen by nearly 20%, with Myles Garrett now earning $40 million/year.

2022 second overall pick, the Detroit Lions‘ Aidan Hutchinson, was cleared for football activities this upcoming year after having his 2024 season cut short to just five games after suffering a nasty leg injury that broke both his foot and fibula.

Now that he is back and ready for action in 2025 – having made a full and complete recovery, NFL Insider speculates that a contract extension for the Pro Bowler could be in the works very soon.

From The Insiders on @NFLNetwork: #Lions star Aidan Hutchinson is fully cleared, good news for on-the-field and very good news for a potential contract extension. pic.twitter.com/RLaxyNQwOw

https://twitter.com/RapSheet/status/1925693306668744834?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

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How Will This Effect The Cowboys’ Negotiations With Parsons?

This news could have a large knock-off effect on the Dallas Cowboys’ pursuit to re-sign Parsons, something that EVP, Stephen Jones, believes will eventually happen.

Having already been leapfrogged by the Browns and the Raiders in re-signing their star edge rushers, Garrett and fellow All-Pro, Maxx Crosby; Dallas will be reticent to have another team – Detroit – sign their star defensive end prior to them.

Hutchinson’s injury last season perhaps mitigates the risk that he will once again reset the market at the position financially, particularly given he has just one season of double digit sacks under his belt.

But the former Michigan man got off to a very hot start in 2024, obtaining 7.5 sacks in his sole five games of the season.

At that rate – not that he would have necessarily kept up that extraordinary pace for the whole season – he would have been on track to hit 25.5 sacks and  break the NFL season record.

Regardless, Hutchinson is a dominant player on the up, one who is regarded by many to be in a similar stratosphere as Parsons when it comes to elite pass rushers off the edge in the NFL.

Will Hutchinson and Parsons Be In Line For A Similar Pay Day?

Part of that will depend on when both get paid, but on ability it is hard to imagine that either one’s valuation will be radically different to the other’s in the eyes of their respective franchises.

Neither is regarded as the top edge rusher in the NFL, but both are, without question, two of the top 10 players at the position.

If paid simultaneously, Parsons would likely get slightly more given his greater amount of time in the league and accolades – two All-Pro nods to nil – but they both deserve to be one of the best paid defensive players in the game.

But if the Lions do get the deal done early and make Hutchinson the highest paid end at the position, it could be yet another financial hurdle for Dallas to clamber through as they attempt to lock up their best defender for years to come.

Daniel Arwas Daniel Arwas is a sports writer who covers the NFL for Heavy.com. Daniel began his career in sports writing in 2022 and has covered the NFL and college football for Gridiron Heroics and The Hammer. More about Daniel Arwas