Detroit Lions standout Aidan Hutchinson was carted off the field during the team’s significant 47-9 victory over the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday, suffering a broken tibia. The injury occurred early in the third quarter when Hutchinson sacked Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott. As he attempted to take down Prescott, his leg struck a teammate’s leg, causing him to collapse to the ground.
Teammates from both squads gathered to support Hutchinson as he was placed on a cart and the crowd at AT&T Stadium offered their applause. The Lions later declared him out for the remainder of the game due to a lower leg injury.
Following the game, Lions head coach Dan Campbell provided an update on Hutchinson’s condition, confirming the broken tibia required immediate surgery and describing the situation as “tough.” He reassured reporters, saying, “He’s in good hands right now. He’s being taken care of. He’s staying back here and, obviously, he is going to be down for a little while, so that’s tough man. It’s hard when you lose somebody like him.”
On Monday, the Lions announced on social media that Hutchinson successfully underwent surgery to fix his broken tibia at Baylor Medical Center in Irving, Texas, on Sunday night. The team indicated that Hutchinson would return to Detroit later this week and is expected to make a full recovery, although there is currently no timeline for his return to play.
Hutchinson, the second overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, has recorded 7.5 sacks in just five games this season, contributing to a total of 27.5 sacks over his 38-game NFL career.
Lions running back David Montgomery lamented Hutchinson’s injury as a significant loss for the team, emphasizing the impact Hutchinson has on the locker room and the team’s dynamic. “A big, big, big blow for us,” said Montgomery. “It’s just more personal for us now because of the kind of guy that Aidan is and the kind of character that he has. I know for me, personally, I’m going to take it real personal for a guy like Aidan because he was the heartbeat of this team, and he still will be.”
With this victory, the Lions improved to 4-1 on the season, while the Cowboys’ record fell to 3-3. Next week, Detroit will face the undefeated Minnesota Vikings, led by Sam Darnold, while Dallas will travel to San Francisco to take on the 49ers.