Lions defensive end Aidan Hutchinson posts phenomenal injury update video

Right after he suffered a broken left fibula and tibia against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 6 last season, there was speculation Detroit Lions defensive end Aidan Hutchinson could be ready for the Super Bowl if the team got there. One report opened up the possibility he could play in the NFC Championship Game if the Lions got there.

Of course those potential return dates were rendered moot by the Lions' Divisional Round loss to the Washington Commanders. On "The Pat McAfee Show" in New Orleans during Super Bowl week, Hutchinson said "the world will never know" if he could have played in the game. He also told McAfee he was nearly done with his rehab, and less than two weeks after that he posted this video.

Hutchinson was clearly not at full strength then, with an awkward running gait and only running in a straight line. But based on some of the negativity that came out, you'd have thought the 2025 season started the following Sunday and Hutchinson wasn't going to be ready. He was about four months removed from the injury then, and running was a notable step from what we'd seen previously.

Aidan Hutchinson posts video showing incredible rehab progress

The Lions' offseason program will start on April 22, with the first voluntary OTA practice slated for May 28. How much Hutchinson will be allowed to do before training camp is an open question. Any limitations he might have shouldn't be blown out of proportion, but he is now nearing the sixth-month mark of the 4-6 month recovery timetable head coach Dan Campbell originally outlined.

On Friday, Hutchinson posted a new video of him running at the Lions' indoor practice facility.

Hutchinson is not only running faster (and further?) than he was two months ago, he's able to change direction a bit without breaking stride. It's impossible to miss the large brace he's wearing in the new video, but he clearly trusts his leg more than he did in February and that's a huge piece of the recovery process.