The Detroit Lions aren’t in the Super Bowl, but if they were, their best defensive player believes he would be on the field with them.

In his first public comments since he broke his leg in an October win over the Dallas Cowboys, Lions defensive end Aidan Hutchinson told the Free Press on the red carpet Thursday at NFL Honors that he was far enough along in his rehab to think he could have played this weekend.

“I think so, but you never know,” Hutchinson said.

Hutchinson led the Lions with 7.5 sacks this season despite playing in only five games.

He was having a Defensive Player of the Year-type season when he suffered a gruesome left leg injury early in the third quarter of the Lions’ Week 6 game against the Cowboys. Hutchinson’s leg whiplashed into teammate Alim McNeill and he was taken immediately to a Dallas hospital, where he underwent surgery.

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Lions coach Dan Campbell left the door open for Hutchinson to return for the Super Bowl, but made that timetable sound unlikely.

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Hutchinson, who missed the Lions’ playoff loss to the Washington Commanders, said Thursday his leg feels “good” and he walked without any noticeable limp down a congested red carpet.

“We’re doing great,” he said, adding that he will be ready for the Lions’ entire offseason program.

Hutchinson was one of five Lions starters who finished the season on injured reserve for a defense that struggled to put pressure on opposing quarterbacks.

The Lions, who also lost defensive line starters Alim McNeill and Marcus Davenport to season-ending injuries, finished 28th in the NFL in sack percentage (6.07%) and recorded just two quarterback hits (and no sacks) on Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels in the playoffs.

The Lions have been mentioned as potential landing spot for disgruntled pass rusher Myles Garrett, who requested a trade from the Cleveland Browns this week. Garrett has produced double-digit sacks in seven of his eight NFL seasons and has 14 sacks each of the past two years.

Hutchinson told the Free Press he thinks it’s unrealistic the Lions make a move for Garrett.

“Everyone’s asking me about that. I don’t know,” he said. “I don’t think — you can’t have that many dudes on one D-line, I don’t know. Who knows, but I think it’s very unlikely.”

Fox analysts and Hall-of-Fame defensive ends Howie Long and Michael Strahan both told the Free Press on Thursday they think the Lions should trade for Garrett, the 2023 NFL Defensive Player of the Year.

Strahan said he would do “whatever it took” to get Garrett, and Long said he would make a deal “in a heartbeat” if he were the Lions.

“If you put him and Hutchinson together, it’s not even fair,” Strahan said. “Honestly, just go ahead and shut down and we’ll see you back here next year watching those guys in the Super Bowl if that’s the case — because I think Detroit had a good chance of being here and just too many injuries caught up to them at some point. But having Myles Garret there and a healthy Hutchinson? Pretty unstoppable.”

Hutchinson said he was “gutted” by the Lions’ postseason loss, and regardless of what happens this offseason, he believes the Lions will come back ready to contend in 2025.

“Onward,” Hutchinson said. “That’s the message. That’s all we can do. (We had) a great regular season, not-so-great postseason, so we’re going to bounce back and get healthy, most importantly, because with the talent, we’re going to be good.”