ALLEN PARK -- It’s been 324 long days since Aidan Hutchinson last suited up for the Detroit Lions.
Hutchinson is tired of talking about his recovery, bionic leg and all the what-ifs and hypotheticals that come along with such a serious injury and the lengthy process. Luckily for the fourth-year edge rusher, he has a chance to put any lingering concerns to bed, with the Lions facing the Green Bay Packers this Sunday at Lambeau Field.
“It’s great to be back, and it’s been a long time coming, but we’re here, and I’m just looking forward to this season,” Hutchinson said on Tuesday. “I think when I play this game on Sunday, people will finally -- I think it will be in my past from the media perspective and from the fan perspective, people will have moved on, which will be good because I think I’ve moved on a while ago.”
Hutchinson has looked like himself from the moment training camp opened back in late July. He made life hell for whoever was in front of him in practice, and has continued to receive praise from his coaches and teammates for being an even better player.
Kelvin Sheppard, the team’s new defensive coordinator, said seeing Hutchinson not just back on the field, but how he looked, made him go “Whoa.” Sheppard confidently said he sees a better football player, which is really saying something, considering that Hutchinson posted an NFL-leading 7.5 sacks and 45 pressures in five games last season.
“I feel like I’ve gotten better this camp, and that’s the standard and expectation,” Hutchinson said. “Every camp for me is (about) continuing to take steps up, and that’s really the focus every single camp. And now I get to put out on display, you know, what we’ve been working on.
“You know, when you come in here, you’re the first-round pick. It’s kind of that rookie expectation of, you know, you got more leeway. But now that you’re getting older, people depend on you more, and you’re put in those situations where you got to win if your defense is gonna have success. So that’s, that’s kind of the change in the standard for yourself, you know, and that’s what people expect of me. That’s what I expect of myself.”
The 25-year-old was also named a captain for the second straight season, along with five other teammates, ahead of the new campaign, which speaks to the impact he brings to the Lions on and off the field.
When Dan Campbell was asked about Hutchinson’s long-awaited return, the Lions coach said he was “very excited” to see it finally happen. Campbell noted the time and effort that went into even getting back to this point, and he feels any time someone misses this much action, “it just gives you a little extra motivation to come back.”
“I just feel like he’s improved himself even from last year,” Campbell said. “Just his ability to bend, his mechanics with his hands, his hips. There are tricks of the trade you learn along the way as you grow, and I do feel like from a flexibility standpoint, and then just continuing to hone his own skills, I think you can elevate yourself even a little bit more.
“I just feel like he’s done that, and he’s going to give you everything he’s got every play he’s out there. Every play. So, that’s why I’m excited because I know the guy’s going to give us everything he’s got, no matter what it is.”
And for anyone still concerned about Hutchinson’s recovery, he wants people to know that his bionic leg “isn’t going anywhere.” Hutchinson didn’t offer specifics on how many screws or what was in place after breaking his tibia and fibula, but that “we’re good and we’re going to move past it on Sunday.”
The Lions and Hutchinson also continue to work through a contract extension to keep the star pass rusher in town for the long haul. Hutchinson declined to get into those discussions, saying he’s letting his people and the front office handle it.
But even Hutchinson has taken note of the NFL’s defensive end market hitting new levels. Myles Garrett, T.J. Watt, Maxx Crosby, and now Micah Parsons have received big-time extensions in the last year. Parsons sits at the top of the board after inking his four-year, $186 million deal in Green Bay.
“Yeah, it’s always exciting. It’s been a big year for D-ends,” Hutchinson said. “It’s been a big year for the market. It’s gone up so exponentially. So yeah, it’s always exciting to see that market grow.
“I’m focused on the Green Bay Packers right now. Not really dealing with the contract stuff, and we are focused on sacking (Packers quarterback) Jordan Love.”
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