The Lions are favored by Vegas oddsmakers to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl after beating the Vikings in Week 8, as the 49ers fell to the Chiefs.
If Detroit makes it all the way to New Orleans on February 9, they could receive a massive boost in the form of injured defensive end Aidan Hutchinson
, who broke his tibia and fibula in Week 6
.
Hutchinson successfully underwent surgery to repair his broken bones last week , with head coach Dan Campbell offering a four-to-six month timetable for his recovery. However, doctors discovered during surgery that Hutchinson suffered no ligament or nerve damage in the injury, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport , indicating that he might be able to beat Campbell’s original prognosis and return in time for the Super Bowl, which is set for just under four months after his injury on October 13.
“I would never count him out,” said Campbell after Hutchinson’s surgery. “I would say if anybody can make it back it would be him.”
While Hutchinson’s injury shocked many who watched it on live television, it was a clean break without any additional complications, simplifying the repair and recovery process for the star edge rusher’s leg. The injury also fortuitously took place at AT&T Stadium in Arlingon, Texas, with nearby Baylor University Medical Center designated as the Level 1 trauma center for any major injuries that happened during the game. Baylor’s medical director of orthopedic trauma services is Dr. Alan Jones, one of the nation’s experts in tibia and fibula repairs, placing Hutchinson in good hands immediately after his injury.