J.J. Watt responds to Lions fans' requests for him to unretire in wake of Aidan Hutchinson injury

Following a massive loss for the Detroit Lions defense after defensive end Aidan Hutchinson went down with what's believed to be a season-ending injury on Sunday against the Dallas Cowboys, the fanbase has turned to J.J. Watt to plead for his return to the game.

Watt, 35, retired following the 2022 NFL season and has appeared on The NFL Today, NFL on CBS and other sports programs since.

The three-time Defensive Player of the Year was asked by a fan on X, "How many times have you heard this today, coming out of retirement for the Lions? We know you are still in shape."

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Related: Lions provide unfortunate injury update on star defensive player Aidan Hutchinson

The former defensive lineman responded, but maybe not the response Lions fans want to hear.

"Haha once or twice. Lions fans, I see, hear and appreciate you. Love your squad, love Detroit and love Hutch. Gutted for him," he said.

"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 was one of the first people to react to Hutchinson's injury when it happened early in the second half on Sunday.

The Lions posted an update on Monday , stating that Hutchinson's surgery went successfully and he's expected to make a full recovery.

The former Houston Texan has experienced his fair share of injuries during his playing career. Watt missed large parts of the 2016, 2017, 2019 and 2021 seasons with different injuries. His 2017 injury is similar to what Hutchison has, a tibial plateau fracture in his left leg that also required immediate surgery.

Related: Detroit's Aidan Hutchinson carted off the field after gruesome injury

While it's safe to say that Hutchinson — who was a candidate for Defensive Player of the Year — is irreplaceable but Detroit will have to come up with a plan to make up for his production for the rest of the season.

Detroit plays their first NFC North matchup on Sunday against the Minnesota Vikings (5-0) at U.S. Bank Stadium.