Head coach Dan Campbell is set to welcome back a couple of crucial defensive players as his injury-depleted defense starts to regain strength, with the potential return of star Aidan Hutchinson also on the horizon. Despite dealing with numerous defensive injuries, the 13-2 Detroit Lions are nearing the end of a remarkable 2024 season and are in line for a first-round playoff bye.
Currently, Campbell’s squad is without Aidan Hutchinson, Alex Anzalone, Jalen Reeves-Maybin, Carlton Davis, Alim McNeil, Malcolm Rodriguez, Derrick Barnes, Marcus Davenport, and John Cominsky.
However, Campbell is about to get a boost with the return of linebackers Alex Anzalone and Jalen Reeves-Maybin. Anzalone, who is “close” to coming back, might rejoin the team soon, though Campbell is uncertain if he will play in the next game against the San Francisco 49ers on Monday.
Anzalone, a third-round pick by the New Orleans Saints in 2017 and the Lions’ defensive captain, suffered a broken forearm during Detroit’s 52-6 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars in November. After the injury, Anzalone tweeted, “Thank you everyone for the well wishes! As an athlete, a lot of times you think ‘Why did this have to happen?’ But I like to think about all the countless reps something bad didn’t happen. I’m beyond blessed! I’ll be back in no time, fresh legs and all.” His recovery was expected to take six to eight weeks, meaning he is roughly on track.
Reeves-Maybin, a key special teams player and backup linebacker, could also make a return soon. Campbell shared, “We started him last week, he got a practice or two,” and added, “We’re going to get him more this week, see how he feels where it’s at. He is somebody that could potentially be brought up.”
Meanwhile, Hutchinson, widely considered the Lions’ top player, was a frontrunner for Defensive Player of the Year after recording 7.5 sacks in the first five games of the season. He fractured his tibia and fibula against the Dallas Cowboys in October and appeared set to miss the rest of the year. However, Hutchinson recently hinted at a possible return on The Squeeze podcast, stating, “I’m on track for my goal of returning for the Super Bowl. I keep telling all the boys when I see them in the facility, I’m like, ‘You guys just got to get there. I promise you, I’m going to be back.'”
