The Detroit Lions’ season opener didn’t go the way anyone hoped. After a 27-13 loss to the Green Bay Packers, fans were left frustrated by the lack of pressure on Jordan Love and a defense that looked nothing like the unit that dominated stretches of 2024.
But if you’re a Lions fan feeling nervous about what comes next, Aidan Hutchinson has a message: relax, Detroit’s been here before.
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Hutchinson’s Return Comes With Growing Pains
Sunday marked Hutchinson’s first game action since breaking his leg last October, a season-ending injury that cut short what was shaping up to be an All-Pro campaign. Expectations were high for his return, but like the rest of the Lions’ defensive front, he couldn’t generate much pressure.
Detroit finished with zero sacks, just two tackles for loss, and two quarterback hits all game. Hutchinson’s stat line showed only one QB hit, far below the havoc fans are used to seeing from him.
Still, the defensive end isn’t panicking. He knows it’s a long season and that the Lions have made a habit of bouncing back when people count them out.
“This Is Where We Thrive”
Hutchinson put it simply when asked how the team moves forward after such a disappointing loss: (Quote via SideLion Report)
“We have a good history of responding and we have another divisional game next week, it’s going to be good for us. There’s a lot of expectations this year, to come in and lose like that, I’m sure a lot of people will be really down on us, and that’s where we thrive, when everyone doesn’t believe in us anymore. I’m sure everyone’s going to be talking, but I think what we do really well is when this adversity hits, we put the blinders on, we go.”
It’s vintage Hutchinson, confident, grounded, and laser-focused on the next challenge.
Aidan Hutchinson contract extension
The Bigger Picture
Week 1 is notorious for overreactions, and while the Lions’ performance in Green Bay raised legitimate concerns, Hutchinson’s comments should settle things down. He’s right: this team has been through adversity before and responded with resilience.
The real test comes this Sunday at Ford Field, when the Lions host former offensive coordinator Ben Johnson and the Chicago Bears. With Hutchinson back on the field, even if still knocking off the rust, Detroit will be looking to remind the rest of the NFC North why they entered the season as division favorites.