Will Aidan Hutchinson return this season? Latest injury update on Lions star

The Detroit Lions were dealt a massive blow on the defensive side of the ball when star edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson suffered a significant injury that is forcing him to miss an extended period of time.

Hutchinson went down with a broken tibia and fibula during the Week 6 contest versus the Dallas Cowboys that was initially believed to be a season-ending injury. However, there has been optimism that he could return for the playoffs.

According to reports, Hutchinson’s initial timeline was set at four to six months, but there is a belief that he could make it back if the Lions advance in the postseason.

Here’s what we know about the former No. 2 overall pick’s potential return.

Aidan Hutchinson injury update

Hutchinson’s recovery seems to be going well. A few weeks back, he revealed that he is able to walk without the assistance of crutches.

Will Aidan Hutchinson return this season?

Back in October, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported that Hutchinson has a shot to make it back by the Super Bowl if the Lions make it that far. That would be a shade under four months into his recovery, as Hutchinson suffered the injury on Oct. 13 and the Super Bowl falls on Feb. 9.

Sources say there are several factors that point to Hutchinson potentially being back at the early benchmark of four months — which would be right at Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans on Feb. 9, 2025 — provided Detroit makes it, of course.

Though Hutchinson’s injury was horrific and chilling to watch, the fracture itself was actually a clean break, sources say. There was no ligament damage. There was no nerve damage. The kinds of issues that can result with such a serious break were not present — very good news.

Last week, FOX Sports’ Jay Glazer offered an even more optimistic outlook, with Glazer reporting that the Lions are hopeful Hutchinson could make it back by as early as the NFC Championship Game if Detroit advances that far.

“[Detroit] might be getting one of their biggest stars back a little bit sooner than maybe they thought in Aidan Hutchinson,” Glazer said. “[The Lions] are actually holding out hope, just because of how hard he works, that he could possibly be back not [for] the Super Bowl, but the NFC Championship Game, depending on how that bone feels, and Dan Campbell says also, how much practice he can get.”

Then there’s this: Dr. Christopher Cooke, the Chief of DMC Sports Medicine in Detroit, said recovery from the kind of injury Hutchinson has can be as short as three months. The second round of the playoffs falls five days after the three-month mark in Hutchinson’s recovery.

“Athletes like Adrian Hutchinson who do have surgery for this injury have over a 91% chance of returning to the NFL,” Cooke said, per Brandon Carr of Click on Detroit. “A systematic review showed that anywhere between three to 24 months, most of these players return. The reason that’s a big deal today is three months from his injury is the second round of the playoffs. While four months from his injury is the Super Bowl.”

Here’s what Lions head coach Dan Campbell said about Hutchinson potentially returning during the playoffs.

“This is a tough injury,” Campbell said, per Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. “It is, but I just would never count him out just knowing who he is. He’s working, he is progressing, but I can’t say — I can’t give you a timeline and I don’t know if he’ll have the time to get there, but if anybody could, it’s him.”

While there is hope for Hutchinson to make it back at some point in the playoffs, expectations must be tempered. What the Michigan product is attempting to do isn’t easy and the slightest setback will end all hope.

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