Detroit Lions defensive end Aidan Hutchinson is aiming to return from a gruesome injury and help the franchise play for the NFL championship.
“I’m on track for my goal of returning for the Super Bowl,” Hutchinson said on “The Squeeze” podcast that was published Wednesday. “I keep telling all the boys when I see them in the facility, I’m like,`You guys just got to get there. I promise you, I’m going to be back.'”
Hutchinson had surgery to repair a broken tibia and fibula two months ago after he was injured in a win at Dallas.
He was leading the league with 7.5 sacks through five games when he was hurt and the total more than doubles the number of sacks any other Lions player has this season.
When Hutchinson broke his left leg in two places in mid-October, he was expected to be out for four to six months.
The Super Bowl is in New Orleans on Feb. 9, just less than four months after Hutchinson’s surgery.
Detroit and Buffalo are the favorites to win the Super Bowl, according to the BetMGM Sportsbook. The Lions’ franchise-record, 11-game winning streak was snapped in a 48-42 setback Sunday at home against the Bills.
Detroit (12-2) visits Chicago (4-10) on Sunday clinging to a first-place tie with Minnesota in the NFC North, along with a tie with the Vikings and Philadelphia Eagles for the top seed in the conference.
Detroit’s Other Notable Injuries
Running back David Montgomery sustained a serious knee injury against the Bills, while defensive tackle Alim McNeill suffered a season-ending knee injury in the same game. Special teams ace Khalil Dorsey had season-ending surgery after breaking his leg in the same game. Cornerback Carlton Davis is out indefinitely with a jaw injury. The Lions already had a league-high 18 players on injured reserve before the latest round of injuries brought that number to 21. Thirteen of those players play defense, including edge rushers Hutchinson, Marcus Davenport and John Cominsky and linebackers Alex Anzalone and Derrick Barnes.
Reporting by The Associated Press.
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