J.J. Watt Responds to Pleas from Lions Fans to Replace Aidan Hutchinson

The Detroit Lions are likely well into planning on how to replace star edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson , who they lost for the season to a broken leg on Sunday, October 13, against the Dallas Cowboys -- but one option is already off the table.

Lions fans were all over social media Sunday night looking for updates on Hutchinson's injuries and discussing what might be done to try and replace the NFL's sack leader ( 6.5 ).

A handful of those fans concocted the same general idea -- hit up former three-time Defensive Player of the Year J.J. Watt and make an impassioned plea for him to come out of retirement to join a squad with a legitimate chance at a Super Bowl run.

Watt read/heard enough of the chatter that he felt compelled to respond publicly on Monday.

"Lions fans, I see, hear [and] appreciate you. Love your squad, love Detroit [and] love Hutch. Gutted for him," Watt wrote via an X post . "This morning I poured a cup of coffee and took a walk by the lake with my wife [and] son before breakfast. I’m very much enjoying this phase of life."

Watt, the brother of three-time NFL sack champ and Pittsburgh Steelers star pass rusher T.J. Watt , retired at the end of the 2022 campaign following a 12-year career.

He hung up his cleats with five First-Team All-Pro selections, five Pro Bowl appearances and 114.5 career sacks to his name across 151 regular-season games played.

Injuries robbed Watt of at least half of a year in four of his last seven professional campaigns. However, he tallied 12.5 sacks for the Arizona Cardinals during his final season and is still only 35 years old.

All that is to say that Watt probably could come back and make an impact for the Lions before the season is all said and done, but he made it clear Monday that isn't going to happen.

Related: Dan Campbell’s Message After Aidan Hutchinson's Gruesome Injury Says It All