Detroit Lions pass rusher Aidan Hutchinson is excited to catch up with his friend and former college teammate, Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy, this weekend.
The problem for McCarthy is where that meeting might take place. The quarterback would prefer to limit their encounters to pregame conversations or quick chats between timeouts, while Hutchinson has different meeting locations in mind as he tries to drive McCarthy into the turf.
The ex-Michigan Wolverines will square off when the Vikings (3-4) visit the Lions (5-2) in an NFC North battle Sunday afternoon.
“It’ll be exciting,” Hutchinson said. “We have a great relationship. I’ve probably got to shoot him a text this week at some point letting him know.
“I’m super excited. He’s a great competitor, great player, and I’m looking forward to it.”
Hutchinson already has plenty of reasons to smile as he heads into the contest. He signed a four-year contract extension on Wednesday that reportedly includes $141 million guaranteed, making him the NFL’s highest-paid non-quarterback. The deal ties him through 2030 to the team that selected him No. 2 overall in the 2022 draft.
The 25-year-old Michigan native has six sacks in seven games this season. He has 34.5 sacks in 46 career NFL games.
Hutchinson leads a strong defensive front that has helped Detroit win five of its past six games. The Lions, coming off a bye week, most recently prevailed 24-9 at home against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Detroit sits a half-game behind the Green Bay Packers for first place in the division heading into Week 9.
The Lions’ offense has helped spur the fast start, too.
Jared Goff has posted a 116.4 passer rating while throwing for 1,631 yards, 15 touchdowns and three interceptions. Amon-Ra St. Brown has a team-high seven touchdown catches, and Jahmyr Gibbs leads the ground attack with 526 rushing yards and six TDs.
The Vikings, meanwhile, are looking to regroup.
Minnesota has lost back-to-back games against the Philadelphia Eagles and the Los Angeles Chargers, and it is looking to avoid its first three-game skid since dropping its final four contests in 2023.
The Vikings have not scored more than 22 points in any of their past four games, and they are coming off their worst setback of the season, a 37-10 road rout against the Chargers on Oct. 23.
McCarthy will try to jump-start the offense as he returns to the field for the first time since he sustained a high ankle sprain in the Vikings’ second game of the season. He passed for 301 yards, two touchdowns and three interceptions in parts of two games before he was hurt.
Now, McCarthy said, he is healthy and ready to build upon his early experiences.
“I feel like myself again,” McCarthy said.
One player who figures to benefit from McCarthy’s return is Justin Jefferson, who has 41 catches for 602 yards but has caught only one touchdown pass this season. Fellow wideout Jordan Addison ranks second on the team with 21 catches for 309 yards and two touchdowns.
Vikings pass rusher Andrew Van Ginkel also hopes to rejoin the action after aggravating a neck injury in Week 3 and sitting out since then.
“I feel really good about where I’m at,” Van Ginkel said.
Van Ginkel and McCarthy both practiced in full on Wednesday. Only three of their teammates missed the entire session: fullback C.J. Ham (hand), cornerback Jeff Okudah (concussion) and tight end Josh Oliver (foot).
Lions safety Kerby Joseph (knee) and running back Craig Reynolds (hamstring) were listed as non-participants on the team’s estimated Wednesday injury report. Detroit didn’t practice that day.
