The Detroit Lions welcomed back their defensive cornerstone this offseason as Aidan Hutchinson returned from a lengthy recovery following leg surgery.
The star edge rusher now has his first chance to silence any lingering doubts when the Lions travel to Green Bay this Sunday for their divisional matchup against the Packers at Lambeau Field.
Hutchinson enters the season as one of the leading candidates for 2025 Defensive Player of the Year.
Most projections have him trailing only Green Bay’s Micah Parsons in the early race for the award.
Former NFL Comeback Player of the Year Rob Gronkowski recently weighed in on the award race during an appearance on the Up and Adams show.
He offered high praise for Hutchinson while sending a clear message to opposing offenses about what they can expect.
“He’s going to come back with some vengeance. He was absolutely dominating last year. I love him as a player, I love him as a person, I just love the way he works. He loves the game of football so much and I feel there’s guys when they get a serious injury, like Aidan Hutchinson got, you either fold or you come back as a better player. I feel Aidan Hutchinson is one of those guys,” Gronk told Kay Adams.
"He's going to come back with a vengeance"
Why Gronk is all-in on Aidan Hutchinson for DPOY this season @heykayadams | @RobGronkowski | #OnePride @aidanhutch97 pic.twitter.com/NuVcY786Hm
— Up & Adams (@UpAndAdamsShow) September 3, 2025
Gronkowski’s perspective carries weight given his own experience bouncing back from serious injuries during his playing career.
Hutchinson’s track record supports that optimism.
Through his first three NFL seasons with Detroit, he has appeared in 39 games while recording 122 tackles, 28.5 sacks, four forced fumbles, four fumble recoveries, four interceptions, and 10 defended passes.
Training camp has provided early evidence that Hutchinson is ready to pick up where he left off.
He has consistently dominated practice sessions since late July.
Lions defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard said watching Hutchinson back on the field has been remarkable.
The pass rusher appears to be an even better player than before the injury.
The Lions also named him a team captain for the second straight year, joining five teammates in that leadership role.
NEXT: Dan Campbell Has Honest Admission About Lambeau Field