This NFL season was flooded with surprising teams, upstart turnarounds, and a few shocking disappointments as well. Powerhouses from previous seasons missed out on the postseason, like the Kansas City Chiefs and the surging Detroit Lions. Detroit’s win/loss record wasn’t what they had in mind going into the year, but that didn’t stop the Lions’ star defensive end, Aidan Hutchinson, from tallying a career-high 14.5 sacks.
Hutchinson’s stellar year earned him All-Pro honors, a second-place finish in the Comeback Player of the Year, and a top-five finish in Defensive Player of the Year voting.
“We have all the talent in the world, but we just couldn't play complementary football this year,” he said. “Sometimes our defense would be a little better, or the offense would be a little better.”
Now, Hutchinson is spending his Super Bowl week with Gatorade, celebrating the brand’s 40th anniversary on the NFL sidelines by playing flag football with other stars like Justin Jefferson and Trevor Lawrence.
“They put love to their athletes. They treat us with love and the roster is just mad hard,” Jefferson says of Gatorade’s longevity.
You can find the full conversation with Hutchinson below, where we talk about Gatorade, his season with the Lions, edge rushers in the NFL, and more. It has been lightly edited and condensed for clarity.
Can you tell me about how it’s been being a Gatorade athlete and how the brand has helped you in your journey being a high level professional athlete?
Aidan Hutchinson: It’s great, man. Gatorade is a great partner. Truly, we just had a hell of a time in this little event doing the "Gatorade Hydration Games"—flag football, me versus Justin Jefferson and some other influencers. It was a fun time. I can't wait to watch it; it's going to be very entertaining. But yeah, they're a great partner and I'm looking forward to working with them for the next couple of years.
I'm not sure if you knew this, but Gatorade is actually the longest-tenured NFL partner. This is the 40th season that Gatorade and the NFL have been together. What do you think it is about Gatorade that has been able to stand the test of time, and how does Gatorade represent the NFL?
I really think their marketing is top-notch. They've been able to, like you said, sustain over a long period of time. That's a credit to the people working there and just the consistency of everybody putting in the time.
Yesterday I saw you at breakfast with Michael Jordan's manager, another major Gatorade athlete. Do you ever just stop and think that you're represented by the same brand as Michael? Have you ever spoken to Michael about it?
I've never met him, but I've met a lot of people that are connected to him. I'm sure I'll meet him at some point. But man, it's really cool. If you told me as a little kid that I'd be sponsored by the Gatorades of the world, I wouldn't believe it.
What's your favorite Gatorade flavor?
My favorite flavor is actually a new one I just tried, Tropical Coconut Gatorlyte. It tastes like a virgin piña colada, but it's the Gatorlyte, so it has more electrolytes. That's my vibe.
Who do you have winning on Sunday?
I don't know. Honestly, I'm not too invested in it. My old defensive coordinator, Mike Macdonald, is now the head coach of Seattle. So I think it would be fun to see the Seahawks win, and see him get a ring.
Things didn’t quite go as planned for the Lions this year, what do you think the team has to do this offseason to get back to the level we’ve been accustomed to from Detroit the last few seasons?
I'd say continue to play complementary football. That's the biggest thing. We have all the talent in the world, but we just couldn't play complementary football this year. Sometimes our defense would be a little better, or the offense would be a little better. Special teams would be better in some games, but we couldn't do it in the clutch moments as a team to really pull through a lot of those close losses.
You had a career-high in sacks this year after a brutal injury last year. Some people said that you probably should have won Comeback Player of the Year last night. What are your thoughts on that? Do you agree?
Yeah, I was actually talking to Christian [McCaffrey] about it at the Pro Bowl. I was like, "Bro, Achilles tendonitis and you're getting Comeback?" But he explained the severity of everything going on with him, and I was like, "Okay, it must have been a tough battle." I know he had some stuff going on, so I respect him a lot. It's always good to make some jokes with the guys; he's super lighthearted and we always have good conversations. But yeah, all those players up for those awards battled adversity in different ways. I'm happy that he won it—of course, you always want to get it yourself—but me and Christian have a good relationship, so it's all good.
Speaking of adversity and Christian, have you heard about these "tinfoil hat" conspiracies about the 49ers practice facility?
What’s that mean?
The 49ers practice facility is located right next to an electromagnetic plant. A lot of fans and studies are saying that might be part of why so many 49ers have gotten injured—Kittle, Christian, Fred [Warner], the list goes on. If you were a free agent thinking about going to the 49ers, is that something you would have your team look into?
No. I mean, it could be a factor, but there are so many bigger factors going into the decisions guys make in free agency. That's a good question. I probably don't know enough about it, to be honest.
Edge rushers are continually proving to be one of the most valuable positions on the field, from a contract standpoint, defensive player of the year honors, etc. Can you break down why that position is so valuable?
If you look at teams that have really good D-lines or really good edge rushers, they can really take over games. Look at a lot of those teams that made the playoffs; those teams with great D-lines and great defenses are dangerous. Especially those DEs that can move around a little bit—go to the three-technique, hit the edge. It can be a matchup nightmare for the offense, for sure.
I heard you talking about Maxx Crosby the other day. It seems like his future with the Raiders might be up in the air. Is there any O-line out there that would be able to contain you two?
It would be fun to watch, I'll tell you that. Me and Maxx on one D-line? Do I think it's realistic? No. But I think it's fun to sit there and think what that would be like because he's such a force, and I believe I am as well. That would be a top duo in the NFL, for sure.