The Detroit Lions were dealt a major injury blow in Week 6 when defensive end Aidan Hutchinson suffered a fractured tibia and fibula in his left leg. There is some buzz he could return to play in the Super Bowl if the Lions get there, on the early end of a 4-6 month recovery timetable.
“Surgery went great, which is all good news,” Lions head coach Dan Campbell told the media the day after Hutchinson's injury. “I kind of mentioned this yesterday, but man, Hutch is a captain for us, a highly productive player, great teammate, does everything right, and was having one hell of a game, one hell of a season. And so, look, it hurts. It hurts to lose somebody like him. Not only the player but the person that’s in that locker room and the leader that he is.”
It is seen as fortuitous that Hutchinson suffered his injury playing in Arlington, a close drive to a Level 1 trauma center (Baylor University Medical Center) with a doctor there who is one of the nation's experts in his specific kind of injury. A seamless and successful surgery was the obvious first step to a potential fast recovery.
During Sunday's game against the Minnesota Vikings, social media posts showed Hutchinson watching the game with his family. As expected, a significant medical apparatus of some sort is visible on his lower left leg
Aidan Hutchinson watched the Lions win over the Vikings with his family at home as he recovers from surgery.
— Brad Galli (@BradGalli) October 20, 2024
Photo posted by House of Hutch pic.twitter.com/4NuAMMCwco
After the team's 31-29 win, Hutchinson then posted a video on his brand's Facebook page updating fans on his early rehab progress (h/t to The Detroit Times). He appears to be in good spirits.
An update from Aidan Hutchinson himself🥹#OnePride pic.twitter.com/PSMzKeStuy
— 𝔗𝔥𝔢 𝔇𝔢𝔱𝔯𝔬𝔦𝔱 𝔗𝔦𝔪𝔢𝔰 📰 (@the_det_times) October 20, 2024
“What’s up y’all? We are one week out from surgery,” Hutchinson said. “The first days were a little rough, but now we are on the road to recovery and just attacking each day. And I want to thank all the kids, who made me the videos. I want to thank all my teammates, all the fans, all the support all over social media. It’s been amazing. And I’m doing great, just pushing through. Got to see the Lions win today. It’s a big win. So happy for them and we’re going to keep pushing, and just keep taking this thing day by day.”