Green Light with Chris Long - Aidan Hutchinson Details Perfect Pass Rush Technique, Playing Penei Sewell & The Lions Defense

Episode Date: August 28, 2026

Two pass rushers talking shop. Aidan Hutchinson joins Chris from Detroit Lions training camp! Hutch dives deep into pass rush techniques, working against Penei Sewell, his patented spin move and if edge rush is truly the easiest position in the NFL. He also describes his favorite QB to take down and Aaron Rodgers's favorite trash talk. (00:00) - Intro (01:00) - Aidan's Edge Rush Technique (04:15) - Favorite Sack of 2025 (05:45) - Perfecting the Spin Move (10:20) - Detroit Lions Defense (13:15) - Playing Penei Sewell (18:10) - NFC North QBs (20:10) - Aaron Rodgers and Josh Allen Have some interesting takes, some codebreaks or just want to talk to the Green Light Crew? We want to hear from you. Call into the Green Light Hotline presented by Zone Nicotine and give us your hottest takes, your biggest gripes and general thoughts. Day and night, this hotline is open: ‪[phone]‬ With the return of the Layup Line, make sure to check out the playlist here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1olmCMKGMEyWwOKaT1Aah3?si=YP1-ffQ3T_yUDRnJRhDtOw Check out Green Light's ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube Channel⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, where you can catch all the latest GL action: Green Light with Chris Long: Subscribe and enjoy weekly content including podcasts, documentaries, live chats, celebrity interviews and more including hot news items, trending discussions from the NFL, MLB, NHL, NBA, NCAA are just a small part of what we will be sharing with you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The spin move didn't hit for me until probably about midway for my rookie year. I was spamming that move. My rookie year once I kind of figured it out. He's always good to say something to me. Like, that was a gift. Something like, something like. Most of the elite tackles are like 6'6. And A is 6'4 maybe, super aggressive and super accurate.

I've got a great football player sitting across from me. This is what a real defensive end looks like. I remember there were some lazy comparisons coming out. He was like, well, he's a white guy. He probably plays a little like her. Man, I met this dude pre-draft, and I said, nice to meet you, Mr. Hutchinson. That's so good.

So welcome to the show, Aidan Hutchinson. I know. It's been four years, I think. I know. Because I was right when I got drafted, you were the first one who I, I know, the first interview or whatever I did. So good to be back, man.

Well, dude, it's great to have you. And I'm so happy for your success. And also you getting up off the mat. I know it was a tough injury and everything. I remember interviewing you, and one of the first, things we were talking about two point stances and yeah all this stuff but you were you were going in your rookie year like what what did you not expect about being an NFL pass rusher that maybe

you've learned over the last you know four years yeah man going in i mean bouncing back to four years ago we're talking two and three point stances and you're still trying to figure out your identity as a pass rusher you know and when i first got here they didn't give me a ton of freedom initially It was because in college, I was two point. I was balling out inside foot up. It was great. And then I get to the NFL and the Lions and it was a very like strict system of you got to put your hand in the dirt. It's got to be your inside hand down, all of it.

So it was initially I was like I didn't really, I had to figure out how to play football again in a three point because I hadn't been in it in a year. And so that was a big adjustment. But about midway through my rookie year, they kind of, they said, all right, well, you can stand up if you want. And then I kind of started to blend both worlds. But yeah, over the past four years, the evolution of the past rush man has been, it's probably my favorite part of the game, you know, just being able to grow and learn and using every opportunity out there.

Even if I'm winning, but mostly on those losing reps, I get to see, man, what do I need to work on the most? And that's what really drives me. And I know it's cliche, but really, that's, to me, it's the process. The process is the evolution of the past rush. That's when I think I have the most fun. When you're working and you get an idea, you work it, and it's hitting.

And obviously every guy shoots a little bit different, has its different nuances. But once you kind of get it clicking in game of, okay, this is going to work against this dude, it's just, and that's what makes the process so exciting. And you've got to be willing to try things and get blush. Yeah. And, yeah, it's in camp. It's the ability to truly let go of the ego in that sense. Because of course I want to be the guy that just, it feels good to be the guy that just never gets blocked, this and that.

But like eventually you're going to go against someone that's doing something a little bit different. You got to start being able, okay, I'm going to be longer here. He's not really shooting. He's a little bit more wide. This guy's outside, inside. It's just, it's, there's levels and there's the evolution. And I feel like right now in my toolbox, I have a really good idea of like, on a week to week basis, I can kind of adjust things a little bit.

Stay true to my foundation, but adjust things to kind of who I'm going against. Does everything come off the same track for you or do you vary your tracks? You know, we just call it a speed track or, you know. Power angle or speed angle. Yeah. Yeah. Do you vary those angles or is everything pretty much off of, hey, I'm going to try to beat you to a spot and I'm going to read you? To me, yeah, I'll change my angles.

Because a big thing, I mean, I can really power somebody. So I use my power angle, not your traditional power angle. How, you know, the Yonick and Gagway really just turn it, crank that angle in and just running them. I think it's easier when you're shorter to do that. When you're taller, you kind of got to can't go right at them because you're standing up so high. So, yeah, it's messing with the angles because if they feel the same angle, but you're ripping three and four different moves out of it, they don't really know what's coming. You know, they got, I mean, it's, that's when it, that's when it gets real fun. I always found if you get a guy turned, his leverage goes away.

For sure. His face goes away. Yeah. Well, he opens up, that inside shoulder, the counter opens up. It's just, that's when the power then kind of open, you know, it's a whole, the whole thing. Dude, I saw, okay, first I'll ask you, you had, what, 14 and a half sacks last year, which is incredible year. Did you have a favorite sack? I think the Minnesota one.

I had the outside spin. Dude, that was mine. I was saying, yeah. Yeah. I just said that. That one I woke up at like 7 a.m. that morning and I was like it just, you know, something just hits him. And we, mind you, we didn't run that defense at all, like where I was kind of, we call it

the ex, the guy who kind of probably was around. I didn't even run that in practice. Yeah. And then we get to the game and they call to play. And I just tell the ex, hey, you go to the, you go to the end of the line. I'm going to try something out. Boom. And it hit.

And it was. And initially they pulled the flag. They called pass interference. And so I was like, I had probably five sacks taken away last year off of penalties. And so I was like, oh, you can delete this clip. Like it doesn't matter anymore. And then they went, they picked up the flag. We were all good.

Life, I was happy again. And we were moving on. But that one was you kind of just get these, I like to call it like just divine into it. Just like things that kind of come to you where you're like, okay. Yeah. That works. And then it hits. And you're like, man, I'm sick.

You got a great spin move, man. Yeah. You really do. What's the key if you were coaching a rookie? Say Ahmed's like, hey, I want to spin like you. What's the key? Talk me through the technique of syncing a spin and not collecting the garbage when you went clean as well.

Yeah, to me it's something that I had to learn because the spin move didn't hit for me until probably about midway through my rookie year where I hit it in the Dallas game in 2022. And then from there it was like, I mean, I was telling my dad, I was spamming that move my rookie year once I kind of figured it out. But to me, it was, I was, I think the issue is guys spin in place and they, they kind of just spin in a phone booth and don't really gain ground. And they do go too early, you know, with my spin, I try to spin at the last possible second when all their weight is on me, hands are on me. Like, everything is pointing towards I'm hitting the edge or I'm powering or whatever.

And then from that moment, then you hit it. So it's really, it's a timing thing. It's how late can I rip this? Because most times guys are doing it off for two, two steps, one step. It's just way too fast and they just get collected and you're screwed, you know. Is that inside foot up trying to get that inside foot around his outside foot to plant off a spin? Or do you spin off the outside foot some? Honestly, I usually it flows from like a Hesi to an out to a spin.

But like footwork, I couldn't even explain the footwork. It just happens. I just know that like as long as I do it as late as I can, it will probably work. I don't know from the point from when he hits me and I spin, I don't know what my legs are doing. It's just that that's when it's, that's when I like to the,

your body instincts to just take over and like, because if you're thinking about, I need my step to clear that. I'm just no, you just aggressively spin, clearing that back hand. And, um,

yeah, usually it will work. It works, man. And even as a floater, that was sweet. Uh, yeah.

How about these rookies? You got Derek. You've got Ahmed from Boise State. Derek's your Michigan brother. Yeah, that's right. What do you see out of them? And do you notice that everybody's got a different body type? So as a vet, like you want to give them the answers, but it can't be all the same answers.

For sure. Yeah, you almost have to bite your tongue a little bit because I understand how different rushers can be. And if I watch someone else's swipe, like my body is just different. Like I understand that I have a longer torso than other people so I need to be able to work around that and understand that. And so guys like Derek and Ahmed, I think we had a really good draft class for D-Line. Even Sky. 50. Yeah, 50.

Dude, he's a little stud. He's a little. I'll tell you what. I've never seen someone take as many steps before the actual. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. He's just, da-da-da-da-da-da-da-d-d-d-you-you know. But he's a little jitterbug. I really think the D-line they drafted this year.

And even the undrafted dudes, we've got a lot of talent, man. And Ahmed, he had a couple sacks in the last game. It was really good for him. Derek Moore, he's been hurt a little bit, but, like, he showed, you see the flashes as a rookie, and I'm like, I'm getting fired up. And then we got DJ Wanam from Carolina this year.

He's, I'm fired up, man, because it's nice when you look around, and Aleem's healthy with his knee. When I look around and see those guys around me, It's man, I know those boys are going to be Russian. And so I'm really, I'm expecting a lot from everybody. We're out here on our training camp tour. We are in Detroit, Michigan, the Motor City.

This is a tough, rugged football team, and it's a tough rugged city. And you know what else is tough and rugged? My canes. We've been giving out the canes here to some of the individuals on the defensive line, Aidan Hutchinson and crew. And everybody's really excited when they get some free canes. I know I am when I get my new canes. I got a couple pairs.

They're great for these guys when they get off the field. They really are good support for your feet. Like it feels like actually better than wearing a pair of sneakers. And they're soft at the same time and breathable and the whole thing. So they're perfect for walking around a locker room, which I don't do much anymore. So I'm walking around the house. I'm chasing my kids. I'm on the river.

They got little holes in them. So, you know, the water rushes through. And they're nice and comfortable. They're perfect on the boat. their perfect land, air, sea. I don't know, what do you want? The Cain's got it all. And these football players love them.

So it's great to see other players share a passion for Cain's footwear. I certainly do. Historically, it feels like over your career, even with guys down in the secondary, you guys are aggressive. And you play up on people and you play man coverage. And how exciting is that for a rusher? because it does change the fractions of time. For sure, yeah, man.

If that, usually that first or second read is covered up on those man coverage, that quarterback is going to hold it now. You know, that's what's so great about not playing those soft zones. But on the flip side, if they're doing man beaters and they're just snap and boom or whatever, that's when it can suck a little bit. But, yeah, it just, you know how it is. Every game is so different. It's just game to game.

It just depends. But, yeah, you see it. I mean, last year, we were down tons of dbs. man he's still same same old thing press a person it's a personality they don't they don't care if it's you know

the best receiver Jamar Chase Justin Jefferson you turn on that tape you see dudes that you know hadn't really been here pressing getting hands on like it's it's fun to watch for sure man that's awesome how about the you talk

about the the D-line class Blake Miller is going to be an important piece for your team and I can't think of a better guy and I use the word baptism, but it is playing a guy like you in practice every day. I mean, that's got to be hell for a rookie, but I'm sure it slows things down when it comes to the games for him. What do you see from him? And what's his set look like?

Yeah, I know we were talking about this before. It's just I'm trying to give him as many reps as I can because I know how valuable those reps are as a rookie because it's just, it's a race to how fast can you grow and evolve as a rookie, especially a rookie tackle. It's like how many different looks can I give him? So when we get to, he'll be playing probably 17 games or more than that one. Yeah. With the postseason, it's like, how can I give him the most looks I can? And I think, I really do believe he's going to be a real solid player. You know, but obviously you go through this stuff.

It's mentally O-line, those guys got to point out. I don't know. Most of my job is just go. And go forward. It's so nice. It's so great. I know. Everybody always bust my balls about it.

How D.N's the easiest position. Oh, yeah. We're rockheads, man. I know. I'm just like, because usually my job, but I tell him my job isn't in the playbook. It's in, I have to create for myself. It's an art form. I always argue with St. Brown. I'm like, hey, you're a receiver.

You get the plays drawn up for you. Yeah, you have to do a little release and stuff. But me, they say win. Yeah. Find a way. Yeah. So you got, you got to get in your bag. You got to get in your mind.

Create for yourself. It ain't easy. It ain't easy. It's always, it's always a good locker room argument for sure. That's great. And then, you know, I think I told you this before, but Hank Fraley, I play with Hank. Did you really?

Yeah, man, that's how old I am. In St. Louis? No, shit. But he's one of the best in the game. Dude, he's so good. I just remember being a D-Lyman and whether it was Stoutland or Paul Boudreau or whoever, trying to spend time with them to get an alternative kind of take on what I'm doing, what I could be doing better.

Right. You know, some things I could add to my bag. Do you spend time with Hank? And what's that like having a very good offensive line coach every day on the other side of things? Yeah. Not so much with Hain, but like with Penae because he's switched over to left tackle this year. And I don't normally rush on the right too much.

But this camp, I've been rushing like, I'm trying to get. That's a good rep over there. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. And so we talk a little bit with like he's trying to figure out his say. He's like, is it different than the other side? But with him, it's, it's unbelievable how easy he makes the transition look. He's made it look easy. I mean, he's a freak athletically.

And the way he's transitioned, it feels the same to me, you know? And that's good. But with me getting those reps on the right side has been super valuable this camp because I normally, and just on the left, but I'm trying to diversify my portfolio. No question. Once we get in game,

I'm not just a sitting duck on the left side with the chippers or whatever. Yeah, it's a lot easier to find you. Oh my God. Yeah. So if you're left, right, if I'm the dude who's kind of prowling around,

like you can, I'm trying to just expand it so offenses can't, can't be too intentional about taking me out the game. Penne's got a I interviewed him last year and he walked in the indoor with no shoes on and he's got this like like a souped up guard build. Yeah. Oh my God. And he's he's built different than any tackle that I think you probably face. Yeah he's uh because he's not like the like most of the elite tackles are like six six arms 36 inches yeah you know I mean can anchor power all this stuff but Panet is I mean he's like six four maybe but not the longest arms but super aggressive

and super accurate, super athletic, can move around. Those are the tackles that are, I would say, are some of the toughest, the ones that you beat them and they can recover because they are athletic in that sense. So, yeah, man, it's been so fun this camp. Has there been anybody, and I'll let you just pick somebody who's not in the league anymore, so you're not giving away game? But, like, has there been anybody who actually gave you trouble?

And you were like, is there be a tackle or two that I was like, man, like, it's not a good fit. Yeah. Like, it's hard to rush this guy. I mean, for me, um, sometimes when I'm rushing at shorter tackles, the guys that are like six three and usually like GMs don't want six three tackles.

Right. Because it's like, you know, it's not the ideal build. Same thing with the undersized de lineman. You know, it's like nobody wants to undersize, but they got natural pad level and they got.

And so when I'm, if I'm trying to work on this shorter tackle, my powers, I got to be that much lower. I got to everything has to go down a little bit. And that's to me, I've been working on that a lot And so I've gotten a lot more comfortable with it

But when I first got in the league I really I was always struggling with the shorter guy The guys are 6-2, 6-3 Because man they're standing Once I'm running, they're right on my chest already Yeah, no question It was, it's different Yonda Marshall Yonda used to move out to tackle

And give guys hell In a pinch And they were like, yo put the starting tackle back out here Because this dude's just different Yeah, I heard Dan talking in the presser about Levi And he said one of the things he's got to do is just keep keep his pads down. He's so strong.

For sure. It's a pad. Are there things that guys can work on? Like, have you done anything off the field rather than just be, you know, cognizant of it? Are there drills that you're doing? I know there's a red shoot and all that stuff. But like, how do you drill a guy keeping his pads down? Dude, that is.

That's always a thought. Yeah. It's always a thought with me. And that's something that I've been working a lot. And it's, I'm doing some unorthodox stuff trying to, trying to help that. which I probably won't say. Don't give any game. I don't want to give some.

Dad's over there like, don't tell them. I know. You're in the backyard. No, so I've been, because my thing is, it's like I can come off low. Like if I'm just running normally,

but I got to see. That's the thing. It's like you have to be, you have to come out like that. But I can do that if I'm running a 40 yard dash, head down. But I got to look at the quarterback and see what the hell is going on.

So it's, can I stay at that angle with my head up and see it? But also still be low. because that's when I feel like I'm my most dangerous when I'm coming off low and hard and like all my, and I have a long torso too. So like that just gives me so much more length naturally.

Yeah. And leverage with that. So that's, that's something I'm always, I'm always trying to find a way. And you got to keep that chin up. So when you sink that long arm in there, dudes aren't snatching you down.

It's, it's a balance. Yeah. It's a tight rope. You got a balance. But yeah, usually I think when I'm, when I'm playing,

when I don't like how I'm playing, it's usually because that, first step, I'm just popping up a little bit. When I just stay almost like a flat, I'm tough to block for sure. Yeah, it looks that way. In your division now, you've got Kyle Murray, who's, I mean, he's half your height. And he's quick as a damn hiccup. And you're going to, so you're going to play him twice.

And, you know, like as a rush, when the schedule came out, I used to look at who are the quarterbacks, how hard is it going to be to get him on the ground? You know, obviously, you look at the standalone games, all that stuff and the tackles. I used to look at the quarterback's lot. And you've got Caleb Williams, who, I mean, talk about Russian nose.

I wouldn't slip on Jordan Love either. He can run a little bit. He's got good awareness. When he gets out and he vacates a B gap that's open and he gets a full head of steam. But Caleb's got to. I've seen Caleb exit pockets in ways that I haven't seen other guys. You know, with that spin.

He'll hit me with a, I think it might have been. Week 18. It was, I beat it, beat the tight end or whatever. I'm coming in. This is for 15 and a half.

This is for the Lions franchise record. So I was like, and he hit me with the step forward. Has he back? I'm just like, bro, like, I got a tight end on my back pushing me. And then you're going to like, it's just. The ones you miss like haunt you. And they make you feel so unathletic. When you do miss one, I miss more than you.

But like, no, that's, that's, I think it's the hardest part when if you, if you win fast, a quarterback that sees you. Yes. And it's just. Yes. And he's got all the space in the world. That's where it's tough. No question.

But yeah, it's, dude, these mobile quarterbacks, it's different from back in 2011 when you were playing. No question. There was a lot more lawn deers, dude. I know, I know. But they started coming in the league and I was like, man, get that. I know. He started getting the class dudes in. No, but it's fun.

But I think with them, the downside about being really athletic is you feel like you can make the play every time. That's a quarterback. Like Caleb or like he gets out a ton. But there's also times when he's trying to escape and then you're going to, when he probably should throw it or something. And then you're going to get a sack on that. So I think sometimes it makes up for it depending on how the quarterback's decision making. It's a total tradeoff. Yeah.

Because you play Rogers and you got Rogers twice. But he doesn't hold on the ball much. Of course, the way your secondary was playing. Yeah. Another great sack was the one you beat that guy inside and then beat the guard too against Pittsburgh. It was a great set. They do try to jump set me because I got, I got beat on a jump set the game before. Yeah.

And I knew, I was like, all right, then boy, see that on tape. They're going to try to jump me now with the slide. Yeah. And then he jumped me and it was kind of body just took over and you made the way. But Rogers is always a, it's always a funny dude. What does he sound like to say? He's always, I remember Eli Manning used to make noises. I think the guys, when they get in their upper 30s or 40s.

No, he's always, when we get up, he's always, he's always good to say something to me. Like, like, that was a gift. Something like, something like, just something like to kind of like. I like irk you, but to me, it's just so funny. It's just, I don't know. I've played against him with the Packers. Now, Steelers, like, it's always fun. I like when he'll shit talk a little bit.

It makes it fun. And then I think week two, you got Josh Allen, which is like getting another defensive end on the ground. Right, right, yeah. Well, I try not to think about who we were playing. Just trying to beat the dude and get, get whoever has the ball down. I don't care who it is, but.

Well, I hope you get 15 and a half this year. Make it 16. Come on. Maybe a little more. Yeah, maybe a little bit more, man. It's great to see you. Yeah, appreciate it, man. Congratulations on all your success.

Thank you, man. Yeah, it's fun to watch. You too, man. I know your pod's taken off for sure. I work from home. I don't have to get hit. I can watch inside run, dude. Sometimes I look at you sitting there, just looking fresh and stuff.

I'm on play 50. I'm like, well, he put it in his time. Brad, Brad looked at me. He said, man, you look all right. Like I said, hey, man, you know my number. I give me five plays. There'd be a little playoff round. Yeah.

Oh, it's good to see you, brother. I appreciate you. Yeah. Thanks, dude. Oh, yeah. They got to be like size 17 or something. Oh, these are huge. Oh, we got the heelless.

Oh, yeah, the heelless. Yeah, that's nice. Yeah, dude. Good locker room shoes, bro. I'm going to try these out. Hell yeah.