What Aidan Hutchinson’s Extension Means for the Bears (And Other Teams Looking for a Star Pass Rusher) ...Middle East

On Wednesday morning, the Detroit Lions inked star pass rusher Aidan Hutchinson to a four-year extension worth $180 million. Hutchinson’s deal includes a $141 million guarantee. The annual average comes in at $46.5 million, making Hutchinson the second-highest-paid pass rusher in the NFL, just behind Micah Parsons and ahead of T.J. Watt and Myles Garrett. That’s bad news for the Chicago Bears.

Here’s a look at what elite pass rushers—who have reset the market in 2025—are making these days:

Highest paid pass-rushers in the NFL:?Micah Parsons: $46.5M?Aidan Hutchinson: $45M?TJ Watt: $41M?Myles Garrett: $40M?Danielle Hunter: $35.6M?Maxx Crosby: $35.5M

Undoubtedly, Hutchinson—or any of those guys—deserves their big paydays. Hutchinson has been on an absolute tear since the Lions’ Week 1 loss to Green Bay. The third-year pass rusher has racked up five sacks in his last four games, including a two-sack performance against Cleveland in Week 4.

Hutchinson’s relentless play has fueled Detroit’s defense. He’s already forced three fumbles and is currently on pace for a monster season — 17 sacks and 10 forced fumbles — while helping a Lions unit totaling 16 sacks overall. Simply put, Hutchinson looks like a player back to full strength — and then some.

Simply put, he’s a game-wrecker.

Not only do the Bears have to face Hutchinson and fellow game-wrecker Micah Parsons twice yearly for the foreseeable future, but they also lack any comparable star power in their pass rush. Chicago’s 31 percent pass rush win rate ranks 30th in the NFL.

What Aidan Hutchinson’s Extension Means for the Chicago Bears (And Other Teams Looking for a Star Pass Rusher)

Since the calendar flipped to 2025, teams have committed billions of new dollars to pass rushers. Edge rusher has long been considered the most critical position outside of quarterback, and 2025 has been the year that the dollars have backed that up.

With the cost of elite pass rush help ballooning as rapidly and as high as we’ve seen, like the quarterback position has been for a long time, the plan of attack for teams needing a star pass rusher should be the NFL Draft.

For the Daniel Joneses and Sam Darnolds who arrived in their current cities via free agency at the quarterback positions, the Trey Hendricksons of the world will be available via trade or free agency. Still, even then, they will demand a premium contract.

The Bears’ cap situation doesn’t allow them to afford a hefty contract for an established veteran like Hendrickson—not without some nifty cap gymnastics, anyway. But the need for an elite pass rusher is painfully obvious, which brings us to the NFL Draft.

I’m Already Looking at Pass Rushers in the 2026 NFL Draft Class

The first name you’ll see when digging into pass rushers in the 2026 draft class is Miami’s Rueben Bain Jr.

Bain has three sacks—and 33 quarterback pressures—for the Hurricanes this season, and a 28.6 percent pass rush win rate in seven games. While he’s not getting home like he did in 2023 when he tallied nine sacks for Miami, he’s still been a game-wrecking presence in the opposing backfield, and owns a 94.6 overall grade over at PFF, where he’s, for good reason, the top pass rush prospect in the upcoming draft class.

But Bears fans should not get too enamored with Bain. He’ll likely be long gone by the time Chicago is on the clock unless the rest of the season resembles the slide that saw Matt Eberflus fired in 2024. Tankathon has Chicago picking 17th in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft as of today, so let’s set our sights in that range for now.

Here are a few names to know.

T.J. Parker, Clemson

Parker is a 6’3”, 260-pound edge rusher known for his strength, power, and toughness against the run. He made an immediate impact at Clemson, earning Freshman All-American honors with 32 tackles, 13 tackles for loss, and 5.5 sacks. Parker elevated his game in 2024, earning second-team All-ACC honors after posting 57 tackles, 20 tackles for loss, 11 sacks, and a school-record six forced fumbles. Parker is also excellent against the run on the edge.

2025 Stats: 2 Sacks, 6 QB Hits, 11 QB Hurries, 13.3% PRWR

Matayo Uiagalelei, Oregon

Uiagalelei is a 6’5”, 272-pound edge rusher in the 2026 NFL Draft class with a rare mix of size, power, and athleticism that projects him as a potential first-round pick. He broke out in 2024, leading Oregon’s defensive line — including three future NFL prospects — with 10.5 sacks, 38 tackles, 13 tackles for loss, an interception, and two pass deflections. Uiagalelei earned first-team All-Big Ten honors last season and has been mocked to the Bears in multiple places, most recently by Tankathon.

2025 Stats: 4 Sacks, 5 QB Hits, 16 QB Hurries, 15.8% PRWR

David Bailey, Texas Tech

Bailey is a 6’3”, 250-pound edge rusher known for his athleticism and diverse pass-rush arsenal, making him a promising third-down threat at the next level. A former 4-star recruit at Stanford, Bailey started immediately as a freshman, earning 247Sports True Freshman All-American honors with 46 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss, and 2.5 sacks. He followed with solid production over the next two seasons, totaling 65 tackles, 14 tackles for loss, and 12 sacks before transferring to Texas Tech in 2024 to finish his college career.

2025 Stats: 11 Sacks, 12 QB Hits, 27 QB Hurries, 22.4% PRWR

Romello Height, Texas Tech

Height is a 6th-year edge rusher from Dublin, Georgia, whose college journey has taken him from Auburn to USC, Georgia Tech, and now Texas Tech. Despite frequent transfers, his pass-rushing ability has remained a constant — totaling 6.5 career sacks and 69 pressures over 1,200-plus snaps. His breakout year came at Georgia Tech in 2024, where he led the team in tackles for loss (6.5) and posted 32 pressures, earning an overall PFF grade of 78.4 and an elite 92.5 coverage grade — second among all FBS edge defenders.

2025 Stats: 4 Sacks, 7 QB Hits, 26 QB Hurries, 20.7 PRWR

LT Overton, Alabama

Overton, a 6’5”, 278-pound defensive lineman, is one of the most versatile prospects in the 2026 NFL Draft class — a strong run defender with developing pass-rush upside. A former 5-star recruit from Texas A&M’s 2022 class, Overton saw immediate action as a freshman, recording 31 tackles, three tackles for loss, and a sack. After a quiet 2023 season, he transferred to Alabama in 2024, where he became a starter and posted 42 tackles, three tackles for loss, and two sacks.

2025 Stats: 4 Sacks, 2 QB Hits, 12 QB Hurries, 11% PRWR

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