Hutchinson shattered his leg in an October win over the Dallas Cowboys, forcing him to miss the remainder of the season and putting him through a difficult recovery. Hutchinson offered supporters a preview of his improvement in February and then provided an even bigger update this week.
Aidan Hutchinson Close to returning
Hutchinson had shared a video in February showing him sprinting, showcasing the huge steps he had done in he treatment.
The former first-round pick revealed more progress in an interview with ESPN’s Marty Smith this week at The Masters golf event, stating that his recuperation had been “pretty rough” at times but was nearing completion.
“It felt pretty long,” Hutchinson remarked of his rehabilitation. “The early stages were difficult, but now that you’re out of it, as we spoke earlier, you have a newfound appreciation for your body, for no pain, and for running. I’m glad to be finished with that. People loved that sprinting video, too.
I didn’t expect people to adore it as much as they did. But I received a lot of text messages and DMs. It was great, and the support has been incredible.”
The Lions edge rusher stated that he has one more round of tests and would then be totally recovered.
“I am there. “I’d say I’m good,” Hutchinson stated. “I’ve got my last assessment exams when I get back — I leave today and return to the rehab tomorrow — I’m going to do those evals, and once I hit them out of the park, I’ll be on my way and finished with rehab. I’ll tell you, it was a long process.
The Lions intimated late last season that Hutchinson was making good progress in his rehab, stating he could return to the field if the club made it to the Super Bowl. The Lions’ title aspirations were crushed early, losing in the divisional round to the Washington Commanders despite earning the NFC’s top overall seed and a first-round bye.
Lions Seeking Assistance for Aidan Hutchinson
After Hutchinson went down, the Lions struggled to establish a consistent pass rush, acquiring Za’Darius Smith before the trade deadline to help fill the void but frequently failing to slow opposing offenses.
Hutchinson finished the season with 7.5 sacks, 19 tackles, 17 quarterback hits, seven tackles for loss, and one forced fumble in five games.
Some observers feel the Lions will prioritize their pass rush in the 2018 NFL draft, utilizing their first-round pick to locate a reliable edge to combine with Hutchinson. Russell Brown of USA Today’s Lions Wire speculated that the Lions may even trade up in the first round, moving up to No. 15 and acquiring one of this year’s best pass rushers.
“As for the Lions, I would expect them to move up for a defensive end. That may be Georgia Edge. Mykel Williams, or Texas A&M EDGE Brown penned, “Shemar Stewart.” “Either guy might make an impact on the Lions defensive front. It’s unlikely that either player will be available at pick 28, so trading up may be the only way for the Lions to obtain ‘their guy.'”
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