Detroit Lions defensive end Aidan Hutchinson entered the 2024 season with a challenge from defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn.
Heading into his third NFL season, Glenn challenged Hutchinson to emerge as one of the best defensive players in the entire NFL. Through one month, the Michigan product has been exactly that.
Hutchinson was named NFC Defensive Player of the Month Thursday, earning the honors after an outstanding showing through the first four games of the season. He becomes the first Lion to win the award since linebacker DeAndre Levy in September of 2014, and also is the first Lions defensive lineman to ever win the award.
The Michigan product leads the NFL in sacks with 6.5 and pressures with 40. His lead in pressures is by a wide margin, as Denver's Zach Allen is the next closest with 23. He also has 16 total tackles.
Hutchinson's strong start to the season has caused many to believe that he could break the single-season record. Currently, the record is shared by Michael Strahan and T.J. Watt.
When asked by Kay Adams on the Up and Adams Show if he thinks about breaking the record, Hutchinson downplayed the possibility crossing his mind.
"The season's so long, you can't get too wrapped up," Hutchinson said. "Some games you might not have a sack, some games you might have three or four. So you've just got to keep playing it week by week. That's always been my mentality and that will continue to be my mentality."
Is there a different energy with the 2024 #Lions? 🦁@aidanhutch97: "...everything's going the right way." 💪@heykayadams @Lions pic.twitter.com/3kg9fwceTd
— Up & Adams (@UpAndAdamsShow) October 3, 2024
The Lions have started the season 3-1, with the lone loss coming in Week 2 to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Hutchinson explained that the energy within the team has been largely positive through the strong start to the campaign.
"With the D-line that we have now and another year in the scheme, I feel like guys are coming along. I've evolved as a player a ton," Hutchinson said. "And so, I think, just the culmination of all those things, leads you to have more confidence and then things slow down when you're on the field and really all in all, it really just raises my own game play to a new level when you have better people around you and you have another year under your belt. Everything is going the right way.
