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Aidan Hutchinson injury timeline: What we know about Lions DE recovery from broken leg
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- Aidan Hutchinson injury timeline: What we know about Lions DE recovery from broken leg
Aidan Hutchinson is the biggest question mark on the Detroit Lions lengthy list of players on injured reserve .
Hutchinson broke the fibula and tibia bones in his left leg in Week 6 on Oct. 13 against the Dallas Cowboys when his leg was whipped around a teammate as he went for a sack. Hutchinson, who was leading the NFL at the time with 7½ sacks, underwent emergency surgery that night in Texas .
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Hutchinson has publicly continued to say he's "on track" for a return to the field in Super Bowl 59 in the second week of February, should the Lions make it there for the first time ever, but the reality is he remains a longshot .
Here's the latest information on Hutchinson's broken leg injury, recovery and timeline.
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Aidan Hutchinson injury update and timeline
Hutchinson, a 24-year-old defensive end who attended Dearborn Divine Child and then starred at Michigan, broke the two bones in his lower left leg on Oct. 13 against the Cowboys. He broke the tibia (shinbone) and the fibula (calf bone). He's one of several defensive starters on injured reserve as of Week 18.
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Hutchinson's initial timeline for rehab and return to play was four-to-six months . Super Bowl 59 in New Orleans in Feb. 9, just shy of fourth months to the date of surgery.
Detroit Lions Aidan Hutchinson (97) runs out of the tunnel during the Detroit Lions season opener against the Los Angeles Rams at Ford Field in Detroit, on Sunday, Sept. 8. 2024.
"I would never count Hutch out, ever," Lions coach Dan Campbell said the day after the injury. "So yeah, probably long road. But I would never count him out and I would say if anybody can make it back it's him."
A few months later, Campbell spoke Dec. 9, one day after a Fox Sports report the team was "holding out hope" Hutchinson could return Jan. 26 for the NFC championship game , two weeks before the Super Bowl.
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"This is a tough injury," Campbell said Dec. 9 . "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 (to the Super Bowl), but if anybody could, it's him."
Campbell said his level of optimism about Hutchinson returning late in the season had not changed since the injury. "Honestly, I'm where I was when the injury happened," he said.
Hutchinson in mid-December appeared on a podcast with actor and Lions fan Taylor Lautner and said he is "on track" to play in the Super Bowl if his team makes it.
"I'm on track for my goal of returning for the Super Bowl," Hutchinson said. "And so I keep telling all the boys when I see them in the facility, 'you just gotta get there and I promise you I'm gonna be back.'"
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On Christmas, he posted video of a visit to Mott's Children's Hospital with his family and looked to be walking comfortably as he brought cheer to sick kids in Ann Arbor.
Hutchinson this past Monday posted underwater video of himself running in a pool with the caption "Making strides."
The Lions' odds to make the Super Bowl will get a large boost if they knock off the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday night. A win or tie gives them the 1-seed for the first time in franchise history , a first-round bye and homefield advantage throughout the playoffs.
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A loss would place the Lions as the 5-seed and on the road next week in the wild-card round.
Stay tuned for the best Lions coverage throughout the playoffs and all year long at freep.com/sports/lions .
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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Aidan Hutchinson injury: What we know about Lions DE leg recovery
