"This is actually insane" - NFL fans react to latest video of Aidan Hutchinson running after leg injury

NFL fans on X expressed amazement after seeing Detroit Lions star Aidan Hutchinson running at high speed six months after suffering a devastating leg injury. The video, which surfaced this week, shows the 6-foot-7, 260-pound defensive end sprinting with what appears to be minimal limitations.

Hutchinson suffered a broken tibia and fibula in his left leg approximately six months ago, an injury that sidelined him for 12 games last season. The brutal injury occurred when Aidan Hutchinson led the NFL with 7½ sacks.

Before his injury, Hutchinson had established himself as one of the league's premier pass rushers. He recorded 9½ sacks as a rookie in 2022, followed by 11½ sacks in 2023.

Many praised Aidan Hutchinson's remarkable recovery on X.

"Remarkable recovery," a third fan tweeted.

Not all reactions were entirely positive, however. Some fans expressed skepticism about Hutchinson's current physical condition.

"Good recovery but he's clearly favoring the left leg so not sure how you can say 'running at full speed,'" another fan tweeted.

"That's def not full speed but he's clearly making a lot of progress," another fan tweeted.

Aidan Hutchinson's recovery comes as Lions prepare for potential record contract extension

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According to a Detroit Free Press report on Saturday, Lions general manager Brad Holmes has acknowledged that the team is budgeting for a significant payday for Hutchinson.

"It is what it is," Holmes said to reporters at the NFL's spring meeting. "I mean, we had it in that range kind of already when we do our future planning and budgeting, but then obviously when it goes up it just goes up and that's just what you got to prepare for."

The market for top defensive ends has seen a dramatic 17% increase in just the past month. This surge began when the Las Vegas Raiders signed Maxx Crosby to a three-year, $106.5 million extension on March 5. This makes him the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history at $35.5 million annually. Days later, the Cleveland Browns topped that by giving Myles Garrett $40 million annually.

Hutchinson has one year of his rookie contract left, though the Lions will exercise his fifth-year option this spring.

Holmes has been transparent about Detroit's strategy: prioritizing their homegrown talent over splashy free-agent signings. The Lions mostly sat out the veteran free-agent market this spring, choosing instead to allocate their cash to retaining their young core players.

"I don't know what it'll end up being," Holmes said about Hutchinson's potential contract. "That's the difficult part about our job, but we work really hard in terms of the prediction and forecasting of that market."

Lions have approximately $21 million in available cap space (sixth-most in the NFL, according to the NFL Players Association)