Aidan Hutchinson aiming for return late in playoffs after gruesome injury

The Detroit Lions notched their fourth win of the 2024 season on Sunday against the Dallas Cowboys , but in the process they suffered a huge loss with the injury to star edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson.

According to the team , Hutchinson suffered a broken tibia that required immediate surgery in Dallas on Sunday night. He will now miss several months, but there is a glimmer of hope that we could see the former No. 2 overall pick again this season, depending on how far the Lions go in the playoffs.

Per Michael Stone of 97.1 The Ticket and Nolan Bianchi and Richard Silva of The Detroit News , a member of Hutchinson's camp said the Michigan product's injury wasn't the worst-case scenario and the Lions star is already aiming to be back by the Super Bowl, if the Lions make it that far.

"A source close to Hutchinson told The Detroit News on Sunday that the injury appears less severe than a worst-case scenario and Hutchinson might be able to return for the Super Bowl, should the Lions make it," Silva and Bianchi wrote.

That return date seems unfathomable after the scene on the field on Sunday, which was gruesome, to say the least. It would be truly incredible to see him play again this season, but clearly that is very much on the table.

However, the problem is the Lions are going to have a tough time getting that far without Hutchinson, who is the team's best player on defense and the heart and soul of the unit.

Losing Hutchinson seriously downgrades Detroit's pass-rush, which was already hurting after the team lost fellow edge rusher Marcus Davenport to a season-ending injury.

Now, general manager Brad Holmes will explore the trade market before Nov. 5 to see if he can make a much-needed addition ahead of the deadline. Unfortunately, the Lions will be hard-pressed to even come close to trading for the caliber of player Hutchinson is, but they have no choice but to try.