Lions member Aidan Hutchinson delivers message on hype

The Detroit Lions were the subject of a lot of hype heading into the 2023 season for a team that hadn’t made the playoffs in seven years. But the Lions lived up to expectations by advancing to the NFC Championship Game.

Things haven’t changed much. The Lions are still having a lot of success this summer. But it appears Detroit is taking a more business-like approach, according to what defensive end Aidan Hutchinson told ESPN’s Eric Woodyard.

“It’s unbelievable. There’s a lot of hype around this year, but I think it’s well-deserved hype,” Hutchinson said, via Woodyard. “I think a lot more players on our team understand what this year is going to be, and we understand what we have, and we’re all ready.”

Hutchinson is one of the many reasons the Lions are Super Bowl contenders heading into the 2024 season. In two NFL seasons, Hutchinson has recorded 21 sacks. He recorded 11.5 sacks last year while earning his first Pro Bowl nomination.

Aidan Hutchinson and Lions appear ready for anything for 2024 season

NFL teams, at least the successful ones, are often the embodiment of their head coach. That has become the case in Detroit in recent years.

Lions head coach Dan Campbell set the tone for 2024 during the team’s minicamp in June when he told reporters he wanted “the whole enchilada” this season.

There’s little reason to think the Lions won’t be able to compete for their first Super Bowl appearance in franchise history. The Lions will return nearly all of their key players, including quarterback Jared Goff and a plethora of young offensive weapons and tackles. Even offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, who nearly became the head coach of the Washington Commanders, will be back.

Hutchinson will lead a defense that could be improved from last year. That allows the defensive end to see the team’s Super Bowl window open now.

“I think everybody has put their all into this new year, and I think for years to come too, because this is not our last year, we’ll all be playing,” Hutchinson said. “There’s a lot of great players on this team, and I think we could just repeat our success over the next few years.”

Former WR Calvin Johnson promotes Lions

The Lions’ technical staff and players are not the only ones to appreciate the excitement generated by the 2024 team.

Woodyard reported that former Detroit receiver Calvin Johnson spent time with current Lions players during the AREA 313 Celebrity Scramble at the Rocket Mortgage Classic on June 25. Johnson helped get the team excited when he brought up the topic.

“After last year, I feel like they can play with anybody,” Johnson said. “The first step is managing what we do in our division. If we can manage what we do in our division, that’s going to help us a lot.”

The Lions’ recent record in the NFC North shows that the team is capable of repeating that feat in 2024. Detroit is 11-3 in its last 14 division games.

If that record isn’t enough, the fact that Johnson has visited the team multiple times gives the Lions confidence, Hutchinson said.

“Honestly, just the fact that he’s around the place these days and he shows his face and he wears that gold jacket, he’s a legend, man,” Hutchinson told Woodyard. “He doesn’t have to say much for you to be inspired by him.”