Sunday marks exactly six months from when Detroit Lions defensive end Aidan Hutchinson suffered a season-ending broken fibula and tibia in his left leg, in Week 6 of last season against the Dallas Cowboys. Any idea he could have played in the Super Bowl was rendered moot by the Lions' loss in the Divisional Round, but even under the cover of social media positivity, updates on his recovery have been positive all along.
Earlier this month, Hutchinson posted a video showing him running at the Lions' indoor practice facility. He appeared to be moving with little or no limitations, which was a stark contrast to a similar video he had posted in mid-February.
The way some people reacted to that February video, you'd have thought the 2025 season started the following Sunday. At that point, Hutchinson was barely four months removed from the injury, on the early end of a 4-6 month recovery timetable.
Aidan Hutchinson offers huge update on his injury rehab
The Lions start their offseason program on April 22. On-field work won't happen until May, but it appears Hutchinson will be able to participate on some level.
Hutchinson was on the grounds at Augusta National for The Masters this past week. He sat down with ESPN's Marty Smith, and Smith started with the obvious question about walking the golf course with a leg he has just spent months rehabbing after a major injury.
Hutchinson acknowledged how you can easily take for granted having a healthy leg and being able to walk without pain, and how he now has greater appreciation for something so simple.
Smith eventually asked Hutchinson, in light of the most recent video showing him running "full tilt" and changing direction, where he is in the rehab process.
“I’m there. I’d say I’m good,” Hutchinson said. “I’ve got my last evaluation tests when I get back — I leave today and I go back tomorrow to the rehab — I’m gonna finish those evals and once I knock them out of the park, I’ll be on my way and done with rehab. It was a long process, I’ll tell you that.”
Six months was the full recovery timetable for Hutchinson. He is obviously there now, right on schedule with the final evaluations looming (or possibly already happened at this point, a few days from the interview with Smith).
Smith's segment with Hutchinson starts at about the 34:15 mark of the video below, with an intro from Smith followed by the conversation :
