The Detroit Lions were ravaged by injuries this past season, especially on the defensive side of the ball. The Lions lost several starters across all three levels, including Aidan Hutchinson and Alim McNeill.
Detroit lost Hutchinson to a broken tibia and fibula in Week 6 against the Dallas Cowboys, and McNeill to a torn ACL in Week 15 against the Buffalo. With Hutchinson already out, the Lions could not afford to lose another defensive lineman to a season-ending injury, especially at that point of the season.
Despite all those injuries on defense, the Lions still found a way to win 15 games and captured the NFC North crown, along with the No. 1 seed in the NFC. However, Detroit's injuries and lack of depth finally caught up to them in the playoffs.
Alim McNeil Injury Update: Torn ACL Rehab Progressing
After the Lions lost to the Washington Commanders in the divisional round last month, McNeill said he “plans to attack rehab on a day-to-day basis " to get back on the field as soon as possible.
Over the weekend, Lions fans were able to catch a glimpse of McNeill’s rehab and it appears that things are going well. In an Instagram post by physical therapist Derek Samuel, McNeill was seen doing a workout/activity as rehabs from his torn ACL.
Via the Instagram account of physical therapist Derek Samuel, here’s a clip he posted earlier today of #Lions DT Alim McNeill rehabbing his torn ACL.
— Kory Woods (@KoryEWoods) February 16, 2025
(IG: dereksamuelmpt) pic.twitter.com/qQJYI06KlC
Since McNeill suffered the torn ACL in mid-December, he could likely return to the field around September or October. The Lions look forward to having the fourth-year defender back for 2025, as he had a great 2024 season.
The 24-year-old defensive lineman posted 25 combined tackles, 18 QB pressures (career-high), seven quarterback hits, seven tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, and a forced fumble across 14 games.
McNeill thrived under then-defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn, producing a 77.1 pass rush (ranked 13th among 219 qualified defensive linemen) and a 64.5 run-defense grade (35th among 219 defensive linemen).
Detroit expects to be a part of its defense for a long time as they signed the former third-round pick to a massive four-year, $97 million contract extension during the 2024 regular season.