The Detroit Lions are getting some help ahead of the 2025 NFL season.
Aidan Hutchinson has been cleared to return to the football field.
However, speaking at Detroit’s facility on Thursday, the pass rusher relayed the news that he was fully cleared to return to football activities:
Hutchinson then elaborated on what his impending return means to him:
“It’s great. I got cleared a while back and now, I’m rolling with the boys now and it feels like I’m back to being myself again. I’m really looking forward to the season … I think this is the most excited I’ve been for OTAs in my life. This is the biggest hiatus I’ve had without playing ball, so I am … I’m pumped,” added Hutchinson.
The Lions pass rusher was carted off the field after a play against the Dallas Cowboys back on October 13, a play that went into the books as a sack of Dak Prescott but ultimately brought the curtain down on his season. At the time of the injury Hutchinson had already notched 16 tackles and 6.5 sacks through five-plus games, numbers that had he stayed healthy may have had him on a path to Defensive Player of the Year numbers.
Instead, Hutchinson was turned into a spectator, forced to watch the Lions the rest of the season. Detroit went on to secure the No. 1 seed in the NFC, but their dreams of a Super Bowl were dashed when they lost in the Divisional Round to the Washington Commanders.
With Hutchinson returning to the fold, those dreams are indeed back in Detroit.
