Aidan Hutchinson is reminding all Detroit Lions fans just how much they missed him for most of last season.

Hutchinson only played five and a half games for the Lions last year after breaking his leg Week 6 in Dallas and missing the rest of the season. At the time, he was atop the NFL in sacks (7.5) and pressures (45) and was the leading candidate for Defensive Player of the Year.

Fast forward almost a complete calendar year and Hutchinson is off to another terrific start to the 2025 season. He once again is one of the early favorites for Defensive Player of the Year. He's also a favorite for Comeback Player of the Year.

Through Detroit's first five contests, Hutchinson is tied with Kansas City's George Karlaftis for the NFL lead in total pressures (31). His 5.0 sacks are third best behind Nik Bonitto (7.0) and Byron Young (5.5). He's also third in total quarterback hits (12) and fifth in pass-rush win rate (25.4 percent). His three forced fumbles are second behind only Joey Bosa's four.

"The number of things that he's able to do for us in the run and the pass game. Man, it takes up – he pulls a lot slack, man," Lions head coach Dan Campbell said Wednesday of Hutchinson. "You talk about pulling your weight, he pulls his weight and then some. He requires a lot of resources offensively, which helps everybody else out."

Hutchinson has recorded a sack in four straight games to tie the franchise record and will be looking to break that record by getting to Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes in Kansas City on Sunday Night Football.

"I really have a marathon view of this season and I'm taking it one week at a time," Hutchinson said Thursday. "I'm putting every single preparation I can into every week, and we see how the cards lay at the end of the week and do it all over again. That's really my focus. We're going to keep improving and progressing and it's all little details that help a lot in the long run."

Hutchinson's stats reinforce the idea he's the most valuable player the Lions have on defense for what he means to everyone around him and the attention he draws from opposing offenses.

"He is a complete football player, he does it all," Campbell said. "He's disruptive, he's violent, he's high motor, he's crafty, he's explosive, he's tough, he's competitive. And he does it all. He does it all."

ARNOLD UPDATE

When Campbell talked to the media Monday following Detroit's win in Cincinnati, a game in which second-year cornerback Terrion Arnold left with a shoulder injury, Campbell said it didn't look good and Arnold was expected to be out 'a long time.'

Arnold got some second opinions from doctors this week and those came back more positive.

"The second opinion came back, and it sounds like it could be promising, but that's no guarantee either," Campbell said Wednesday. "So, we're kind of in this wait and see, and we'll hold off here a little bit and just see where he goes."

Campbell said Arnold avoiding surgery is good news. They are now going to try and get the inflammation out of the shoulder, strengthen it and go from there.

ROBERTSON'S ROLE

With D.J. Reed on IR and Arnold out for an unspecified amount of time, veteran Amik Robertson becomes an even more key component in Detroit's secondary than he already was as a combo nickel/outside cornerback. Robertson is one of Detroit's best man-to-man cover cornerbacks and Campbell said his feistiness and competitiveness are why they prioritized his signing in free agency in 2024. The Lions have a big test this week against Patrick Mahomes and a Chiefs' passing attack that ranks top 10 in the NFL coming in.

"We are completely comfortable with him playing outside and playing in the slot," Campbell said of Robertson. "So, he's another guy. Thank goodness we got him because we don't feel like there's a drop-off with Amik. He's going to go out there and compete, man. We're not worried about him."

QUOTE OF DAY

Campbell on having to be good at disguising defenses when facing Mahomes:

"First of all, he can smell a rat from a mile away. If you're going to disguise, boy, it better be worthy of (an Emmy). This guy sees it all and he smells immediately."

EXTRA POINT

The Lions placed cornerback Khalil Dorsey on Reserve/Injured, signed offensive lineman Dan Skipper to the active roster from the practice squad and signed veteran cornerback Arthur Maulet to the practice squad.

Skipper could potentially get a run at left tackle this week if Taylor Decker can't go.