Aidan Hutchinson promises team he’ll be back for Super Bowl

If the Dan Campbell rant on the radio didn’t get your hairs on end, maybe this news will. Detroit Lions defensive end Aidan Hutchinson, who broke his tibia and fibula just over two months ago, broke his public silence this week, and told The Squeeze podcast—by actor and Lions fan Taylor Lautner—that he’s on track to play in a theoretical Lions Super Bowl.

Note: The full episode of the podcast has yet to be released, but Lautner shared an exclusive clip on “Good Morning Football” Tuesday morning.

“I’m on track for my goal for returning for the Super Bowl,” Hutchinson said. “So I keep telling all the boys when I see them in the facility. I’m like, ‘You guys have just got to get there, and I promise you I’m going to be back.’

“I tell people that, and my mom was like—I remember we were talking yesterday, and she’s like, ‘But Aidan, what if you don’t get back? What if you can’t?’ I was like, ‘There’s no other way.’”

There have been several reports over the past month suggesting Hutchinson could be ready for a Super Bowl—or even potentially the NFC Championship Game—but this is the first time we’ve heard it directly from Hutchinson himself.

Last week, Campbell was asked about a return from his start defensive end, and he was a little more grounded in his answer, while also not counting anything out.

“I’m where I was when the injury happened,” Campbell said. “And that’s only just saying, this is a tough injury. 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 give you a timeline and I don’t know if he’ll have the time to get there, but if anybody could, it’s him.”

The Lions defense could use all the help they can get. The following players have suffered long-term injuries and are not expected back for their playoff run: Marcus Davenport, Kyle Peko, Mekhi Wingo, Derrick Barnes, Malcolm Rodriguez, and Carlton Davis. Before his injury, Hutchinson led the NFL in sacks (7.5) and PFF pressures (45) in just five games played.