The Detroit Lions’ star edge rusher, who suffered a fractured leg in October against the Cowboys, is nearing the end of a long and challenging rehab. After months of work, Hutchinson says he’s feeling strong and ready to get back to the grind.
He spoke with ESPN’s Marty Smith at The Masters this week, opening up about how tough the early stages of recovery were — and how grateful he is to be moving freely again. “The early stages were pretty rough,” Hutchinson said, “but now I just have this appreciation for no pain and running.”
That viral video of Hutch sprinting in February? Turns out fans weren’t the only ones impressed — his phone blew up with support. And now, Hutchinson says he’s got just one final round of evaluation tests before he’s officially cleared.
“It was a long process, I’ll tell you that,” he added.
Before the injury, Hutchinson racked up 7.5 sacks, 17 QB hits, and a forced fumble in just five games — elite numbers that show just how much the Lions missed him down the stretch.
Detroit’s defense never fully recovered after he went down, and now they’re expected to target another edge rusher in the upcoming draft. There’s even buzz that they could trade up from pick No. 28 to snag a top-tier pass rusher like Mykel Williams or Shemar Stewart.
With Hutch on the mend and reinforcements likely on the way, Detroit’s pass rush could be poised to come back with a vengeance in 2025.
Aidan Hutchinson is almost back — and not a moment too soon.
