The Detroit Lions cruised to a 47-9 win over the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday, but then suffered a big loss.
Defensive end Aidan Hutchinson, Detroit’s top defensive player and NFL defensive player of the year, was injured on a sack by Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott in the second half. He writhed in pain as he wrapped Prescott up, then was down. A carriage came to the ground for him.
Replays showed that as Hutchinson spun to wrap up Prescott, his foot struck a teammate. Hutchinson’s leg appeared to be broken by the force of the blow. Soldiers from both sides arrived on the field as Hutchinson was carted away and an air cast was applied to his injured left leg.
Warning: Replay graphic on Fox.
Lions head coach Dan Campbell confirmed after the game that Hutchinson will undergo surgery on a broken bone in his foot and that he will remain in Dallas to do so. A specific timeline for his recovery is unknown. Hutchinson suffered a sprained ankle, but the Lions confirmed after the game that it was not a joint fracture as initially thought.
“He’s in good hands now,” Campbell said. “He’s being taken care of … obviously he’s going to be down for a while. It’s tough, man. It’s tough when you lose someone like him.”
Early Monday morning, the Lions announced Hutchinson had a successful operation To repair the fracture and fibula. He will return to Detroit this week and is expected to make a full recovery, but there is currently no timetable for him to play.
The Lions led the Cowboys 34-6 at the time of Hutchinson’s injury. They were on their way to 4-1 and looked like one of the best teams in the NFL. But losing Hutchinson for a short period of time would seriously hurt their hopes of making the first Super Bowl in franchise history.
