ALLEN PARK, Mich. (AP) — Detroit Lions defensive end Aidan Hutchinson has announced he’s been fully cleared to return after undergoing leg surgery to repair two broken bones.
“I’m back out there with the guys, and it finally feels like I’m myself again,” Hutchinson said Thursday at the Lions’ training facility, where he’s currently participating in offseason workouts. “I don’t think I’ve ever been this excited for OTAs.”
Hutchinson had surgery to fix a fractured tibia and fibula following an injury he suffered during a win against Dallas last October. At the time of the injury, he led the league with 7.5 sacks through just five games.
The Lions went on to win a franchise-record 15 regular-season games, tying with the Kansas City Chiefs for the best record in the NFL. However, they fell to the Washington Commanders in the divisional round of the playoffs, with Hutchinson sidelined and forced to watch from the sidelines.
“For a while, I felt kind of numb,” Hutchinson said. “I had a vision for how the season was supposed to go — and then, just like that, it was gone.”
