ALLEN PARK, Mich. -- Detroit Lions linebacker DeAndre Levy is back running and lifting, but told ESPN.com on Saturday that he and the team still made the correct decision to place him on injured reserve with a hip injury in Week 9.

"I don’t think it would have been smart if we would of," Levy said. "It’s hard to say, because right now I’m not as aggressive with [rehab], you know what I mean. So I’m kind of just patient, but who knows. I don’t really know. It’s hard to say. It’s hard to say, man.

"Like running right now and cutting and planting and trying to tackle, it might still be a little bit of a risk of re-hurting, so shutting it down was the best thing long term."

Levy injured his hip during the preseason and missed the first four weeks of the season for the Lions. He returned in Week 5 against Arizona, played 17 snaps, had no tackles, re-injured the hip and had surgery. The Lions rested him for three more weeks before placing him on injured reserve, ending his season.

He wouldn’t say exactly what the surgery entailed, but he was spotted walking a few weeks after the surgery. When asked about that, he said "that’s the only way to rehab is walk it off."

Levy, though, is taking his time with the rehabilitation process since he knows he has until the start of offseason workouts to get completely healthy. He said he believes he will be back for the start of offseason workouts in 2016, but that he is pacing himself in his rehab because he knows he is not coming back this season.

He said he hasn’t been sprinting full speed yet, but "it’s moving."

"Right now, I’m not really on a schedule," Levy said. "If I wasn’t IR’d, I would be a little bit more aggressive with it and kind of have goals and things in mind right now. Right now, I’m just looking towards April.

"Like I’ll be good in the offseason, there won’t be any problems. I got a little bit, so I’m pacing myself."

It was a lost season for Levy, who had only missed seven games in his career prior to the 2015 season. He had turned himself into one of the better 4-3 outside linebackers in the NFL and signed a four-year contract extension with the Lions during the preseason.

He was initially hurt less than a month later.

"The season is what it is," Levy said. "It’s one of the down points, you know, of the NFL. Highs and lows. Balance, manage it and come back better."

Levy also said he has no regrets participating in any of his offseason activities, which have included wing-walking, sledding down a volcano, eating llama in Chile and hiking in Peru. And he doesn’t shake his head at all that he got through all of his adventures the past few seasons unscathed and then was hurt like many other players in the NFL -- on the practice field and in a game.

"Nah, not at all," Levy said. "It wasn’t like I got hurt bullcrapping around. I got hurt trying to get better, man. I know I did everything I can to get prepared to be ready for the season. If I get hurt, then fine, I mean, that’s a part of it unfortunately sometimes, but I did everything I could to get ready, so I don’t look back with any regret about it."