Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Aidan Hutchinson video proves what Lions fans knew all along about his return

Originally posted on A to Z Sports | By Mike Payton | Last updated Feb 17, 2025 5:09 PM ET

When Detroit Lions edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson went down with a broken leg against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 6, it was devastating to a team that needed him so badly and to what would have been a Defensive Payer of the Year winning campaign for him.

But there was instant hope given to Lions fans when the reports came out that Hutchinson could possibly be ready to return to the Lions for the Super Bowl if Detroit made it that far.

It always felt like a longshot, but the hope was that Hutchinson could overcome such an injury. On Monday, he released a video of himself running at Meijer Performance Center in Allen Park. While it's a good sign that he's out there moving at this juncture, the video highlights that he probably would not have been ready to go or 100% if the Lions had played in the Super Bowl two weekends ago.

Aidan Hutchinson is running at Allen Park. (BTW, don’t mind Conan O’Brien and Adam Scott talking in the background.) pic.twitter.com/HovNsv7u57
— Mike Payton (@AtoZ_Payton) February 17, 2025

I'm not a doctor, but I don't think I need to be to see that Hutchinson is working on regaining strength in his leg and that he's running a little awkwardly here.

This does not at all mean that Hutchinson is going to take a step back in 2025. Do not in any way take this video and be worried about the future. This is right where he should be at this time in his rehab. He's running and he's getting back to normal. Don't be surprised if he's participating in OTAs and minicamp.

This just shows us that if the Lions had made it to the Super Bowl, there's a very good chance Hutchinson would not have played in that game. He would have had to be back at practice by at least the NFC Championship game, and I'm not sure he could have done that.

This article first appeared on A to Z Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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