Aidan Hutchinson, who grew up in Detroit, was soaking in the moment after the Lions clinched a conference championship berth.
The Detroit Lions are back in the NFC championship for the first time since 1991 after taking down the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Sunday’s divisional round clash, 31–23.
It was an emotional moment for the Lions and their fans, who have long been awaiting their franchise’s first-ever trip to the Super Bowl.
After the game, star edge rusher and Detroit native Aidan Hutchinson soaked in the scenes at Ford Field. The 23-year-old could be seen standing with a blank expression as he scanned the stadium, watching as Lions fans celebrated their longest playoff run in more than three decades.
Michigan born and raised. Aidan Hutchinson takes it all in. #NFLPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/GUy51qx19Z
— NFL (@NFL) January 21, 2024
Hutchinson has previously spoken about growing up as a Lions fan, admitting that there were “not a ton of great memories.” He would’ve been around eight years old when the team infamously went 0–16 in 2008.
Now, he’s helping to supply the current generation of fans in Detroit with some long-lasting football memories of their own, with the team set to challenge the San Francisco 49ers in the conference championship next weekend.
Across the first two playoff games of his career, Hutchinson has recorded 10 tackles, three tackles for loss, three sacks and eight quarterback hits.
With a Super Bowl bid officially on the line for Detroit next week, Hutchinson appeared to be taking a well-deserved breather as he took in the moment before heading into the locker room.
