Detroit Lions defensive end Aidan Hutchinson was carted off the field with a broken tibia during his team’s dominant 47-9 win over the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday.
The injury occurred early in the third quarter when Hutchinson made a tackle on Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott. As he attempted to secure Prescott, his leg collided with a teammate’s leg, causing him to fall to the ground in apparent pain.
Despite the injury, both teams’ players came together to offer support as Hutchinson was taken off the field, with cheers from the crowd at AT&T Stadium.
The Lions confirmed he would not return to the game due to the lower leg injury.
After the game, Lions head coach Dan Campbell provided an update, stating that Hutchinson had sustained a broken tibia that necessitated immediate surgery. “He’s in good hands right now,” Campbell said. “He’s being taken care of. He’s going to be down for a little while, which is tough. It’s hard when you lose somebody like him.”
On Monday, the Lions announced on social media that Hutchinson had successful surgery to repair his broken tibia at Baylor Medical Center in Irving, Texas, on Sunday. The team noted that Hutchinson would return to Detroit this week and is expected to make a full recovery, although there is currently no timeline for his return to play.
As the second overall pick in the 2022 NFL draft, Hutchinson has recorded 7.5 sacks this season and 27.5 sacks in 38 games overall in the NFL.
Lions running back David Montgomery expressed his concern regarding Hutchinson’s injury, calling it a significant loss for the team. “It’s just more personal for us now because of the kind of guy that Aidan is and the character that he has,” Montgomery stated. “He was the heartbeat of this team, and he still will be.”
With the victory, the Lions improved to 4-1 for the season, while the Cowboys fell to 3-3. Next week, Detroit is set to face the unbeaten Minnesota Vikings, while Dallas will take on the San Francisco 49ers.