By Blessing 
Aidan Hutchinson Nears Full Recovery After Tough Rehab Journey
Detroit Lions star Aidan Hutchinson is finally nearing the end of a long road to recovery after the devastating leg injury that prematurely ended his 2024 season. The standout defensive end has been working tirelessly to bounce back, and fans were given a glimpse of his progress this week.
Hutchinson fractured his leg during a Week 7 win over the Dallas Cowboys in October, sidelining him for the remainder of the year. The injury set off a grueling rehab process that tested his patience and perseverance. While the recovery has had its ups and downs, the former No. 2 overall pick now says he’s almost fully healed and ready to return to action.
In February, Hutchinson shared a short video of himself sprinting — a big milestone in his comeback journey. The footage generated a wave of excitement among Lions fans, and this week, Hutchinson offered an even more optimistic update during an interview with ESPN’s Marty Smith at The Masters golf tournament.
Reflecting on the past few months, Hutchinson admitted the recovery process hasn’t been easy.
“It felt pretty long,” he told Smith. “The early stages were pretty rough but just being out of that now, like we were talking about earlier, you just have this appreciation for your body, you have appreciation for no pain and running. I’m happy to be done with that.”
He also expressed surprise at how much attention his sprinting video received online.
“People were loving that sprinting video, too. I didn’t think people would love it as much as they did,” Hutchinson said. “But I got a lot of text messages, a lot of people DMing me. It was cool, the support has been amazing.”
As of now, Hutchinson says he’s just one step away from being medically cleared. He’ll undergo one final evaluation before returning to full football activities.
“I’m there. I’d say I’m good,” he shared. “I’ve got my last evaluation tests when I get back — I leave today and I go back tomorrow to the rehab — I’m gonna finish those evals and once I knock them out of the park, I’ll be on my way and done with rehab. It was a long process, I’ll tell you that.”
The Lions had hinted toward the end of last season that Hutchinson was healing quicker than expected, even suggesting that if Detroit made it to the Super Bowl, there was a slim chance he could return. However, the team’s playoff run was cut short in the divisional round with a loss to the Washington Commanders. The Lions had earned the NFC’s top seed and a first-round bye but couldn’t push past their postseason opener.
Without Hutchinson, the Lions struggled to apply consistent pressure on opposing quarterbacks. To try and fill the void, they traded for veteran pass rusher Za’Darius Smith at the deadline. While Smith helped steady the defense, Detroit still had difficulty containing offenses without their star edge rusher leading the charge.
Before going down, Hutchinson was off to a strong start. In just five games, he tallied 7.5 sacks, 19 total tackles, 17 quarterback hits, seven tackles for loss, and a forced fumble — numbers that highlight just how much of a difference-maker he is on the field.
Looking ahead to the 2025 NFL Draft, many analysts believe Detroit will look to bolster the pass rush to support Hutchinson once he returns. Some draft experts have even floated the idea of the Lions trading up from their current No. 28 pick to grab another elite edge defender.
Russell Brown of USA Today’s Lions Wire speculated that Detroit might move up to as high as No. 15 to select a top-tier pass rusher.
“As for the Lions, I would assume they would be moving up for a defensive end. That could be Georgia EDGE Mykel Williams or Texas A&M EDGE Shemar Stewart,” Brown wrote. “Either player could provide an impact for the Lions defensive front. It’s hard to envision either player being available at pick 28 so trading up may be the only thing the Lions can do if they want to get ‘their guy.’”
With Hutchinson nearly healthy and the team eyeing reinforcements, the Lions’ defense could soon be a force to be reckoned with.