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Lions get massive update on their most important defensive player

Originally posted on Side Lion Report | By Matt Sidney | Last updated Jul 12, 2025 11:00 AM ET

Before everything got derailed, Aidan Hutchinson was on pace to take home some serious hardware. Through the first six weeks of the 2024 season, the Detroit Lions’ star pass rusher was leading the league in sacks, quarterback hits, and pressures. He was living in backfields, bullying offensive linemen, and basically dragging Detroit’s defense by the collar.

Then came his brutal leg injury. A fractured tibia and fibula in Week 6 put a hard stop on what was shaping up to be an all-but-guaranteed Defensive Player of the Year campaign. Just like that, the guy who couldn’t be blocked was suddenly being wheeled off the field and into surgery.

He didn’t play another snap the rest of the season after landing on injured reserve, but still finished as the team’s sack leader with 7.5. That stat alone tells you how disruptive he was and how much the team needs him back. And if the Lions want to make another run in 2025, they need that guy back. Luckily, Hutchinson just offered a very encouraging update.

Aidan Hutchinson is exactly where the Lions need him to be

Forget the mystery. Hutchinson is telling everyone who will listen that he’s ready. Appearing on the "With the First Pick" podcast with CBS Sports' Ryan Wilson, Hutch said what every Lions fan was hoping to hear:

“I’m exactly where I need to be,” Hutchinson told Wilson. “Every year I’ve been able to improve on my own physical attributes along with the mental ones, so I feel like every year I take a step. Despite having that rehab this offseason, I feel like I’m in the perfect spot and exactly where I need to be going into Year 4.”

The Lions’ pass rush in 2024 was paper-thin the moment Hutchinson went down.

Injuries across the defensive front completely altered how the Lions had to operate down the stretch. Marcus Davenport had been sidelined even before Hutch went down. Alim McNeill went down with a torn ACL in December. Alex Anzalone broke his forearm. Like what?

By the time the playoffs hit, Detroit’s defense was hanging on by a thread. They were still heavy favorites in the Divisional Round against the Washington Commanders, but couldn't keep up. The Lions' defense never found a way to take over, losing 45-31.

Getting Hutchinson back in 2025 won’t hand Detroit a Super Bowl, but it gives them their best shot defensively. They were already a contender without him. They won 15 games and hosted a playoff game with half a defensive line. Now they’re getting the most important piece of that group back, and he’s saying he’s right where he needs to be. The Lions need their best pass rusher back on the field, and that’s exactly what’s about to happen.