Star Pass Rusher’s Return Sparks Optimism for Detroit Lions Defense
Aidan Hutchinson’s return for the 2025 season is giving the Detroit Lions a major reason for optimism, as the standout edge rusher is set to rejoin the defense at full strength.
Hutchinson was off to a dominant start last year, notching 7.5 sacks before a leg injury in Week 6 against the Dallas Cowboys ended his season. His early-season production placed him firmly among the league’s elite pass rushers.
Now cleared for football activities, Hutchinson is expected to be ready for Week 1—and the Lions are counting on him to quickly return to top form.
In a recent feature by Pro Football Focus, analyst Dalton Wasserman selected Hutchinson’s return as the Lions’ biggest cause for hope heading into the season.
“Before suffering a season-ending injury in Week 6 last season, Hutchinson was on his way to a historic performance,” Wasserman wrote. “Through not even five full games, he led the NFL with 45 pressures, eight sacks, a 95.0 PFF pass-rush grade and an incredible 38.3% pass-rush win rate. Hutchinson’s injury was the main reason Detroit’s pass rush regressed late in the year. If he gets back to that level, he changes the entire complexion of their defense.”
Detroit has made modest moves to reinforce the position opposite Hutchinson, bringing back Marcus Davenport and Al-Quadin Muhammad on one-year deals, and adding rookie Ahmed Hassanein in the sixth round of the NFL Draft.
If Hutchinson returns to his previous level of play—as expected—and the Lions can identify a consistent contributor on the opposite side, their pass rush could quickly become one of the league’s most dangerous.
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