Detroit Lions pass rusher Aidan Hutchinson hasn't suited up for an NFL game since October 13, 2024. He broke his leg in Week 5 against the Dallas Cowboys, and he was on a long road to recovery from that point moving forward.
Or so it seemed. Hutchinson has instead burst back onto the scene for the Lions' defense, according to multiple reporters who have been on the ground and watching him work in training camp this month.
While we're not going to see him play in likely any preseason games ahead of Week 1 against the Green Bay Packers, we still have fun camp updates to look forward to regarding the potential Comeback Player of the Year.
Some updates have been more inspiring than others:
I watched J.J. Watt in his healthy prime in person. I've seen tons of Myles Garrett in person. Aidan Hutchinson has been as dominant as either of those HOFers over the last 12 months. You'd never know he broke his leg. https://t.co/3WUe8H6yEJ
— Jeff Risdon (@JeffRisdon) July 29, 2025
Hutchinson earns scary comparisons from reporter
Imagining a world where Hutchinson not only bounces back nicely from his injury, but manages to put up numbers comparable to Myles Garrett - who, mind you, had 14 sacks last season and came in only second to Trey Hendrickson for the sack title - would almost guarantee that he becomes a finalist for Defensive Player of the Year.
He was, after all, on pace to blow both Garrett and Hendrickson out of the water last season for the sack title. He had 7.5 already stacked up in five games played, which means had he played a full season and assuming he had kept up that pace (1.5 per game), he would've had 25.5 sacks through 17 games played. Hendrickson had 17.5.
The explosion with which Garrett plays and that earning a comparison to how Hutchinson has looked in camp should be a scary prospect for the entire league. In the NFC North, especially, Hutchinson is set to be a test for a few revamped offensive lines. The Chicago Bears, with their major addition of Joe Thuney in the offseason, come to mind in that regard.
With so much uncertainty with the other three quarterbacks in the division and their ability to operate under pressure, Hutchinson's full recovery (and then some) is a welcome development.
As the Lions wait to potentially snag another pass rusher off the market to help Hutchinson on the line, it seems like they're set to still have a pretty formidable defensive line considering how well he and Marcus Davenport have been doing in training camp.
