In the NFL, as in all of sports, giving your opponent any extra motivation ahead of any given game is usually frowned upon.
In some cases, though, it’s totally fine. Especially when you can back it up.
Detroit Lions edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson, the second highest paid defensive player in NFL history, can very much back it up. And he very much has the Philadelphia Eagles on his mind ahead of a Week 11 showdown in Philadelphia between the defending Super Bowl champions and one of the favorites to knock them off their pedestal.
“We really have had this circled on the calendar for a long time,” Hutchinson told NBC Sports Philadelphia’s John Clark on Friday, November 14. “We really see this as a must win.”
The Lions are 6-3 and tied for first place in the NFC North Division with the Chicago Bears. The Eagles are 7-2 and in first place in the NFC East Division.
The Lions had the greatest regular season in franchise history in 2024 by going 15-2 and earning the NFC’s No. 1 overall seed. The main thing that held them back from advancing in the playoffs was the absence of Hutchinson, who suffered a gruesome fractured leg which cost him the final 12 games of the regular season and the playoffs, where the Lions were upset at home by the Washington Commanders in the NFC Divisional Round.
This year, it’s Super Bowl or bust for the Lions and Hutchinson, who signed a 4-year, $180 million contract extension on October 29.
There’s a reason the Lions paid big for Hutchinson — he’s been mostly unblockable since Detroit selected him with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2022 NFL draft.
Hutchinson, 6-foot-7 and 268 pounds, had 11.5 sacks in 2023 and was named to his first Pro Bowl. He followed that with 7.5 sacks through 5 games before his injury in 2024 and has 7.0 sacks through the first 9 games in 2025.
He’s also the second-highest paid defensive player in NFL history behind just Green Bay Packers edge rusher Micah Parsons, who signed a 4-year, $186 million contract extension just over a month before Hutchinson got his deal.
Don’t just be a typical fan and follow the ball with your eyes when the Lions and Eagles square off. Please give some attention to the absolute master class in trench warfare that’s about to occur between Hutchinson and 6-foot-8, 365-pound Eagles left offensive tackle Jordan Mailata.
According to Pro Football Focus, Mailata’s 95.3 overall grade since the beginning of the 2024 season is 1st among NFL offensive tackles and Hutchinson’s 94.3 overall grade since the beginning of 2024 is 1st among NFL edge rushers.
“We can’t speak about this (Lions) defense without talking about Aidan Hutchinson,” Bleeding Green’s Jonny Page wrote on his official X account on November 14. “Who, as we all know, is a superstar. He’s an exceptional pass rusher who barely ever comes off the field, but rarely seems to tire. He can play both sides and can also rush the A-gap in obvious passing situations. Simply put, he’s very very good!”
The Kansas City Chiefs didn’t start the season the way that they wanted to on Friday, September 5, in Brazil. Instead of kicking off their year with a win against the Los Angeles Chargers, the Chiefs fell in an upset loss, 21-27. The Chiefs were certainly favorites to win, so the loss strung a lot, but Jim Harbaugh and the Chargers were able to pull off the victory.
But, the whole star-studded Chiefs crew was, of course, at the game and playing their heart out. It was a rough night for veteran tight end Travis Kelce and quarterback Patrick Mahomes, but there’s always the next game. The Chiefs will continue their season on Sunday, September 14, with a rematch against the Philadelphia Eagles, so they better be ready for that challenge. The Eagles won their season opener against the Dallas Cowboys on Thursday, September 4.
Now, following the game, Kelce and his fiancée Taylor Swift have another big event on the horizon. But, reports indicate that they will be skipping this event. It’s one of the biggest events in Swift’s business of the year.
Swift and Kelce have attended many big events together, from Chiefs games to Swift’s concerts. But, they’ll apparently be skipping the MTV VMAs on Sunday, September 7, which is an event that Swift has frequented over the years. Many of the biggest names in music will be at the event, and even though MTV doesn’t really play videos anymore, this ceremony is still one of the most significant in the music industry all year.
So, why are they skipping it? According to multiple reports, both Kelce and Swift have opted to stay away for a few reasions. For one, Kelce, of course, has been in Brazil for the Chiefs’ kickoff game, so making it back in time and being ready to go to the VMAs would be a stretch. Also, as Elle notes, for Swift, she’s only been nominated for one award this year, because it’s her off year. She’ll probably be up for several awards next year, when her new album drops.
In 2024, Swift won an armful of VMA awards. Her single “Fortnight,” which features Post Malone, won Video of the Year, Song of the Summer, Best Collaboration, Best Editing and Best Direction. Swift also won awards for Artist of the Year and Best Pop Artist.
As Cosmopolitan points out, via Yahoo Entertainment, if Taylor Swift wins Artist of the Year, she’ll make big history as the most decorated artist of all time at the VMAs with 31 awards. Swift and Beyoncé are currently tied with 30 awards a piece.
Taylor Swift dropped the news about her new album on Kelce and his brother Jason’s podcast, the “New Heights” podcast on Wednesday, August 13. Swift talked about her new album being on the way, which will mark her 12th and be titled “Life of a Showgirl.” The appearance came just a few weeks before Kelce popped the question to Swift.