Detroit Lions coach Dan Campbell provided a timeline for Aidan Hutchinson’s return, and he didn’t rule out a return late this season.
The Aidan Hutchinson injury news keeps coming in, and on Monday afternoon Detroit Lions coach Dan Campbell gave the most definitive update yet. Per Campbell, Hutchinson’s injury—a fractured tibia and fibula—will take four to six months to recover from. That said, he isn’t counting out a late return from Hutchinson this season.
“It’s four-to-six months,” Campbell said. “I would never count Hutch out. Ever. So, yeah, probably long road. But I would never count him out. I would say if anybody could make it back, it’d be him.”
It’s obviously an optimistic thought considering a four-month recovery would put Hutchinson to return in mid-February (the Super Bowl is February 9, for what it’s worth). However, it does match the optimism of a Hutchinson family member who told Michael Stone Sunday night that they believe he would be ready if the Lions reached the Super Bowl.
Leaving the door open for a return, Campbell believes, could be the incentive Hutchinson needs to return as quick as possible.
“Just knowing Hutch, he’s got one of those rare—if he believes in it, he can will himself to find a way to get back,” Campbell said. “It’s one of those guys that the mind can heal the body, and he’ll find the next best thing and do whatever it takes to get back. So who knows?”
All of that remains to be seen, though. In the meantime, the Lions are going to explore all of their options to replace Hutchinson, both internally and externally. The one thing they won’t do, however, is panic or jump to a decision.
“Where we’re at now, we’re not in a hurry,” Campbell said. “I believe in the guys that are here. I believe in that D-line. Doesn’t mean we’re not looking (externally), we’re not evaluating. Brad (Holmes) is, that’s his job and he’s good at it. We’ll take it as it comes. But our eyes are open, and we want to make sure that we have what we need here.”