Aidan Hutchinson has officially put a timeline on his return from a devastating leg injury.
The Super Bowl.
Hutchinson made the declaration on this week's episode of "The Squeeze" podcast, hosted by actor and diehard Lions fan Taylor Lautner. Clips from Hutchinson's appearance started making the rounds Tuesday morning, not long after head coach Dan Campbell went viral firing up a fanbase by dropping f-bombs during a passionate speech during his weekly appearance on 97.1 The Ticket.
"I'm on track for my goal of returning for the Super Bowl," Hutchinson said on Lautner's podcast, which drops new episodes every Wednesday. "And so I keep telling all the boys when I see them in the facility, I'm like, 'You guys just gotta get there, and I promise you, I'm gonna be back.' And I tell people that and my Mom was like, I remember we were talking yesterday, and she's like, 'But Aidan, what if you don't get back, what if you cant?' And I was like, 'There's no other way.'"
The Lions remain either the favorite or second-favorite to win the Super Bowl, according to most sportsbooks. They're close in odds to the Buffalo Bills, who beat the Lions, 48-42, at Ford Field on Sunday.
The injury list is growing, though, particularly on the defense, which is casting a lot of doubt among Lions fans ― at least, that was the sense you got if you listened to sports-talk radio Monday.
Hutchinson, 24, one of the best edge rushers in the NFL, has been out since suffering his injury Oct. 13 in the game against the Dallas Cowboys. He fractured his tibia and fibula and had surgery in Texas before returning to Michigan. He has kept fans updated on his recovery process through social-media channels, while watching the Lions' home games from a suite with family and friends. He recently has gotten off of crutches.
There have been reports in recent weeks that Hutchinson had hoped to get back for the Super Bowl if the Lions made it there, but his comments on Lautner's podcast are the first time we're hearing him say that so definitiely.
Hutchinson and Lautner, who grew up in Grand Rapids before making it huge as an actor for his work in the "Twilight" films, have become friends in recent years. Lautner, 32, who attends his share of Lions home games, hosts "The Squeeze" podcast, which focuses on mental health and well-being, specifically, what to do when life gives you lemons (hence, the name). He hosts the podcast with wife Taylor.
@tonypaul1984
