Aidan Hutchinson's leg injury ended his 2024 season prematurely and left a void in Detroit's defense that it ultimately couldn't overcome.
That was in the past, though. And if Lions defensive line coach Kacy Rodgers is to be believed, it will only be a footnote in Hutchinson's career tale, because, as Rodgers said after Hutchinson's return to the practice field this week, "he looks really good."
"I said, 'Hutch, you know how I know you're back?' " Rodgers explained when speaking of the signs Hutchinson has overcome his leg injury, via the Detroit News. "He said, 'How?' I said, 'Because you're touching the ground when you run that hoop,' and that's like this little thing that he does, like he's some supernatural cat -- which he is. But I'm like, 'That's how I know you're back, big dog.' "
Rodgers is new to the Lions, moving from Tampa Bay to Detroit following Kelvin Sheppard's promotion to replace new Jets head coach Aaron Glenn. Because of this, Rodgers might not have the greatest frame of reference to judge Hutchinson's status in May.
Then again, it doesn't take much to know when a player of Hutchinson's caliber is rounding into form. While we're still months from truly knowing if Hutchinson is back to his old self, he certainly isn't slacking, according to Sheppard.
"You would not know he's the caliber player that he is by the way he carries himself," Sheppard said. "The way he works, his attention to detail in meetings, the way he helps people, the way he wants to be pushed and coached hard. You start to get to a certain level, and people think those guys at the top echelon and tier of the league, they're tapped out (with their potential), it's all over.
"Most of the guys that's really special, they never even have that thought in their mind. They want to be coached hard, they want to be pushed. The better the player, the harder you gotta work to push and coach those guys."
Hutchinson's dedication and work ethic have never been uncertain, although 2025 will be his greatest test. All signs are pointing toward him passing with flying colors, which would be a boon to a Lions defense that is undoubtedly counting on him this season.
"I'm gonna be hesitant to speak out on any projections and things like that I have with Hutch, but I have full faith in the player because I know who he is outside of ability," Sheppard said. "I know who he is and I know if anybody wants things for Hutch, it's him. So he's going to make sure he's back at the bar that he's set for himself."
