The Detroit Lions have a superstar in EDGE Aidan Hutchinson, and the team knows that. They took him with the second overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft with the expectations that he would be a wrecking force on the defensive line. Hutchinson has proven them right, with strong rookie and sophomore seasons. His 2024 season was on pace to be his best season yet, and a gruesome leg injury derailed that early, ending his season after just five games.
He returned to play in 2025, and he had the best season
of his career. While it was a strong return, I think he could see more development and growth in 2026. Let’s look back at how the 2025 season went for Hutchinson, and how it could be even better in 2026.
Previous season previews: RB Jahmyr Gibbs, RB Sione Vaki, OT Penei Sewell, WR Jameson Williams
Aidan Hutchinson
Expectations heading into 2025
When NFL players come back from a serious leg injury, it’s widely known that it takes over a year to return to their true selves. While they can still play, they might not be as quick as they once were, might not be able to move the same way, or might be afraid of re-injuring themselves. It’s more of a mental side of things when returning, but also, even though they are good enough to play, the injury sometimes needs more time to heal and get them closer to where they were beforehand.
Hutchinson’s expectations were mixed. Some expected him to return to the way he was and possibly be better, while others just wanted him on the field and healthy. I thought last year that Hutchinson could win Defensive Player of the Year and Comeback Player of the Year if he could play even close to how he played in 2024, with the chance to break the NFL sack record. Safe to say my expectations were higher than most, but that record technically did get broken in 2025, just not by Hutchinson.
Actual role in 2025
17 games (17 starts)
Stats: 54 total tackles, 35 quarterback hits, 14.5 sacks, 14 tackles for loss, four forced fumbles, three pass deflections, and one interception
PFF defensive grade: 91.8 (4th out of 130 qualifying DEs — minimum 205 snaps)
PFF pass rush grade: 92.1 (4th out of 130)
PFF run defense grade: 70.6 (t-29th out of 130)
PFF tackling grade: 47.3 (85th out of 130)
Talk about a return, eh? Hutchinson had a career-high 14.5 sacks and four forced fumbles in 2025. He was still a problem in the pass-rushing game and continued to be a difference maker for the Lions’ defensive line. His season was good, but not good enough to win any awards, finishing fifth in Defensive Player of the Year voting and second in Comeback Player of the Year voting. He returned to the Pro Bowl and got his first NFL All-Pro nod, making the second team.
It was a good return to form for Hutchinson, but it wasn’t perfect. He struggled with his run defense, and while his PFF grade is the same as last season, it felt like he had a worse angle and gap integrity in 2025. It could have been the transition to new defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard, or it could have been Hutchinson not having as much in his game as before. Where Hutchinson took the biggest step back was in tackling. Seeing a grade below 50 for him seems wrong, but he did struggle with tackling, missing nine tackles. His worst was in 2023, with 12, so seeing this become a minor problem for him again was concerning.
There was an early-season report from ESPN that said the Lions told the NFL they felt opposing offenses were targeting Hutchinson by going low on him, knowing he was recovering from his leg injury. While these types of blocks weren’t illegal, the Lions were allegedly aware of them and reported them to the NFL. Lions head coach Dan Campbell threw cold water on that quickly, saying, “That’s bogus. That’s a bogus report. I don’t know where that came from. Nobody from here ever did that. That’s bull […] The game is played a certain way, that’s the way it goes. It doesn’t matter what we’re doing or (what) somebody else is doing to our guys. We know that, and we play accordingly.”
Campbell then praised Hutchinson for how good a player he is.
“He’s in that rare world of you don’t get the easy way out, man,” Campbell said. “He’s gotta beat the nudges, he’s gotta beat the (running) back chip then the tackle’s on him or he’s gotta beat the nudge. Sometimes the back, the tackle, and the slides coming to him with a guard, also. Sometimes you have to beat three, sometimes four, but if that’s the case somebody else is winning. They’ve got to win.
“So, what he does is not easy, and I go back to this: he’s a complete football player. He does it all, and he’s disruptive, he’s violent, he’s high motor, he’s crafty, he’s explosive, he’s tough, he’s competitive, and he does it all.”
Outlook for 2026
Hutchinson had a good 2025 season, but I think he could elevate his game to another level. He can improve his tackling; we’ve seen him do better in that regard. He can become a better run defender, too, and be a complete package at the position. The Lions made some moves at the EDGE position, signing DJ Wonnum, Payton Turner, and drafting Derrick Moore and Tyre West. The team also brought back DL Levi Onwuzurike to give them some flexibility on the defensive line.
While those names don’t jump off the page, as fans have clamored for the team to trade for someone like Las Vegas Raiders EDGE Maxx Crosby, it’s an upgrade from what they’ve had in years past. Another big part will be the bounce-back I expect from defensive tackle Alim McNeill. He also returned from a serious injury last season, and outside of his return game, he didn’t play like himself. Now with a full offseason to participate in, if McNeill can bring power and have a presence on the interior, the defensive line can become the strength of the defense again.
The NFL sack record was broken last year by Myles Garrett, who finished with 23 sacks, beating the record by half a sack. Hutchinson could have a chance to compete with that, but I have different expectations for him this year. It will be difficult to win Defensive Player of the Year with Garrett still being a problem in the NFL, but I think he could improve to become a First-Team NFL All-Pro. That would be an improvement over the year before and wouldn’t put a lot of pressure on Hutchinson to take such a massive leap in 2026.
Don’t get me wrong, we’ve seen Hutchinson play some good football, but if he wants to win a defensive award as long as Garrett is in the NFL, he has to elevate his game to the next level. If he can get back to how he was playing in 2024, phew, it could be a problem to be guarding him in the NFL. I believe that he’s had that extra time to recover, learn, adjust, and develop into one of the best EDGE rushers in the NFL, with competition to fight for that top spot.
