If the Detroit Lions are able to make it to the Super Bowl there is a chance they could get one of their most important players back in the lineup.
Prior to Thursday night’s game against the Green Bay Packers, NFL Network’s Albert Breer said that if the Lions make it to the Super Bowl the expectation is that defensive lineman Aidan Hutchinson will be in uniform for that game.
Hutchinson was injured in early October when he suffered a broken tibia and fibula.
He is already walking without crutches according to Breer and has been spending every day at the Lions’ facility.
Hutchinson is one of the best defensive players in football and was having a potential Defensive Player of the Year type of season prior to his injury. His absence is just one of the many injuries the Lions are dealing with on that side of the ball. Despite the injuries, they still have one of the best defenses in the NFL.
Hutchinson had 7.5 sacks, seven tackles for loss, 17 quarterback hits and a forced fumble in five games before his injury.
The Lions are the leading favorite to reach the Super Bowl out of the NFC.
If they did happen to reach that point, and if Hutchinson is able to be in uniform, he would almost certainly be limited and probably not available for every snap. Or even the majority of them. But even just having him in the lineup for the occasional play would be a huge lift and could completely swing a game.
The Lions and Hutchinson are still a long way from having to worry about that, but the fact it is even being discussed as a possibility is a rather stunning development.