Lions star Aidan Hutchinson says returning vs. Packers will mean everything after a season-ending injury cut short his 2024 Defensive POY push.
If you want to know how badly Aidan Hutchinson misses real football, just mention Week 1 vs. Green Bay and watch his grin stretch wider than Ford Field. The Detroit Lions’ defensive centerpiece ripped through the NFL last September—7.5 sacks in five games, an NFC Defensive Player of the Month trophy—until one ugly play against Dallas slammed the brakes on a potential DPOY campaign.
Nine months, countless rehab sessions, and an avalanche of mental reps later, Hutchinson is nearly cleared for takeoff. And he’s made one thing clear: nobody will appreciate the opening-night spotlight more than No. 97.
“Whenever you get injured, not even to my severity — if you’re off the field, right when you step back on it you get to do what you love again. Eventually, that fades over time,” Hutchinson said via Lions OnSI. “You try to be as grateful as you can, but I don’t think anybody in the game of football will ever be as grateful as when I come back in that first game and I get to play football and I get to do it on the big stage again. That’s what it’s all about, it’s the comeback. I mean, I’m back. But it’s being able to do what I love again on the biggest stage. That’s what sets my heart on fire, right there.”
Injury heartbreak turned into rocket fuel
- The former No. 2 overall pick tore through opposing tackles last September, earning league-wide buzz
- A season-ending leg injury against the Cowboys halted the breakout. Hutchinson spent the rest of 2024 rehabbing while cheering on a historic 15-win run from the sideline.
- Watching—rather than wreaking—havoc gave him a new level of gratitude
Process over rewinding the clock
Sure, Hutchinson would love to smash the fast-forward button straight to September. But the 24-year-old understands the beauty in the grind.
| Off-season Focus | Why it Matters |
|---|---|
| Footwork tuning | Minimizes wasted movement and lowers injury risk. |
| Pass-rush toolbox | He’s tinkering with a new inside-swipe move for quicker wins on third down. |
| Conditioning | Rehab built strength; OTAs and camp will rebuild stamina. |
“There’s a certain joy of figuring out a new step or a fresh counter move,” he said. “Winning on Sundays is great, but mastering the craft Monday-through-Saturday—that sticks with you.”
Week 1 vs. Packers: circled, starred, underlined
Detroit’s 2025 opener at Lambeau Field is basically a personal holiday for Hutchinson:
- Rivalry stakes? Check.
- Prime-time audience? Likely.
- First live bullets since last October? Priceless.
“As much as I love this offseason stuff, being able to go back and play in Week 1 against the Packers, that’s gonna be a hell of a way to start the season,” Hutchinson said. “So if we could flash forward, I’d love it. But I think there’s a beauty in the process that you can’t really get in those games. When you figure out a certain pass-rush move, when you figure out a certain step, there is a different kind of joy that comes with that compared to winning a football game.”
The Bottom Line
Aidan Hutchinson’s comeback story isn’t just about a healed leg; it’s the ignition of a fire that was already burning hot. If his words match his motor, opposing quarterbacks better memorize that snap count—because Detroit’s sack king is counting the days until the curtain rises again.
