Aidan Hutchinson returns in more ways than one.
Hutchinson – who suffered a gruesome leg injury on Oct. 13, 2024 in a 47-9 victory against the Dallas Cowboys – is ready to return to the field Sunday against the Packers. He'll also be the face of a new State Farm campaign spinning off the “Bundle, save” campaign where Hutchinson pretended to be a ballet dancer.
On both accounts, the return should be a success. Hutchinson's return is huge for the Detroit Lions. Detroit finished 15-2 in the regular season but lost 45-31 to Washington in the NFC divisional playoffs. Hutchinson – who has 28.5 sacks after three seasons – was forced to watch that game from the sideline while recovering from that injury.
"Last year was tough," Hutchinson told The Sporting News. "It's hard to look at last year with the amount of injuries we had on defense. It's hard to get an analysis of what to do better when a lot of our starters were out on defense, including myself. It sucked watching that, and obviously I know I don't want to be a part of that. I know we're going to be better."
Hutchinson talked about his recovery and the high hopes around Detroit heading into a blockbuster opener against Green Bay at Lambeau Field on Sunday.
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Aidan Hutchinson talks recovery from leg injury
Hutchinson had 7.5 sacks through four games last season – including 4.5 sacks against the Tampa Bay Bucs in Week 2 – heading into the matchup against Dallas.
In the third quarter, Hutchinson collided with teammate Alim McNeill while pressuring Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott. Hutchinson suffered a broken left tibia and fibula. He missed the remainder of the season.
Hutchinson's return, however, has created excitement in Detroit. He did not play in the preseason, but Lions coach Dan Campell confirmed the edge rusher will be ready against the Packers in Week 1.
"I can't wait to watch him go," Campbell said this week. "He's put in a lot of time, a lot of effort, a lot of hard work to get back to where he's at right now. And when you have the game taken away from you — for whatever reasons — it just gives you a little extra motivation to come back. So, I'm excited to watch him. He's going to be ready to go."
Hutchinson, meanwhile, is ready to press forward. He was a full participant in training camp.
"Where I hit my leg last year, I've gotten that hit a few times, and definitely that builds the psychological and mental aspects of feeling ready to play again," Hutchinson said. "Going through that stuff, you know everything is in place. My leg is bionic now, and we're ready to go."
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Aidan Hutchinson returns to healthy Lions' defense
The Lions have a few new looks. Offensive coordinator Ben Johnson is now the head coach with the Chicago Bears, and defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn is the head coach with the New York Jets. That is one byproduct of success.
John Morton – who was Denver's passing game coordinator last season; and Kelvin Sheppard – the Lions' linebackers coach last season – are the new coordinators.
"Regardless of who our coordinators are, I believe we have all the foundational pieces as players that we need to be successful," Hutchinson said.
Hutchinson wasn't the only key injury last season. The Lions had more than 20 players on injured reserve last season, including McNeill, Marcus Davenport, Malcolm Rodriguez and Alex Anzalone. Hutchinson is excited to be back with Davenport, and a rookie defensive tackle from a rival school also made an impression.
"Tyleik Williams from Ohio State coming in, he's been really good for us," Hutchinson said. "He's going to continue to grow and evolve and really rise to the player that he is. We'll rely on him in all phases."
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Aidan Hutchinson on Detroit Lions' outlook for 2025
Campbell and Hutchinson are the faces of the turnaround in Detroit. Campbell took over in 2021 – and after a 3-13-1 season the franchise picked Hutchinson – a Plymouth, Mich. native.
Hutchinson suffered a fractured right ankle in 2020 with the Wolverines during a forgetful 2-4 season during COVID-19. Hutchinson had 14 sacks the following season and led Michigan to a Big Ten championship. He sees the same progression in Detroit.
"They do have their correlations with 2020 — one of worst seasons and COVID just being a weird year. It was still really a bad season for Michigan football," Hutchinson said. "Doing what we did to bounce back, and having the future teams build on that. That is exactly what we're looking for. Every year we're going to build on what we've done. Yeah, some pieces might be different here and there. We might have some different coaches. That will always stay the goal."
Hutchinson also said Campbell's mentality hasn't changed. Yes, Detroit has moved from shifting the franchise culture with a different challenge.
"Now, the expectation is, 'We are now the ones in a sense being hunted,' Hutchinson said. "That's different. That's a different mentality. (Campbell) sticks to the core principles of how we practice and how we prepare and how we compete. He believes in what he does. We all believe in what he does. That's our edge."
Hutchinson also knows the appetite for a Super Bowl appearance in Detroit. The Lions reached the NFC championship game in 2023 before losing 34-31 to the San Francisco 49ers. Hutchinson had three sacks in three playoff games that season, including two in a 24-23 victory against the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC Wild Card round at Ford Field on Jan. 14, 2024. He remembers the atmosphere for that home game, too.
"(The fans) were so loud it was almost messing us up on defense because you couldn't hear — you couldn't talk to the person next to you, so there wasn't a lot of communicating going on." Hutchinson said before chuckling in amazement. "That serves to show how much these people care and their investment in our team. We're trying to give all that back, get some wins and bring home the big one."
That starts with a Week 1 matchup against the Green Bay Packers. Both teams reached the NFC playoffs last season. Detroit won the last two NFC North titles, and they are 6-2 against Green Bay under Campbell. Now, Detroit has a chance to win a third straight game at Lambeau Field.
"It's huge," Hutchinson said. "We have an incredible opportunity to be 1-0 in the division after that game. That's where all our focus is — being 1-0 in the division."
Aidan Hutchinson's new State Farm commercial
State Farm is building off the success of last year's campaign with Hutchinson. This year, the theme is “Captain.” Hutchinson rolled with the theme, and he is embodying State Farm insurance against the competition.
"From the last one, the 'Bundle, Save' and I was doing the ballet dancing, everyone was always asking me about that," Hutchinson said. "Everybody loved that commercial. It was a really funny idea, and I'm hoping we can get similar reactions."
Here is a look at the new State Farm commercial featuring Hutchinson: