Aidan Hutchinson‘s sensational 2024 season has come to an end.
The Detroit Lions pass rusher underwent successful surgery Sunday night to repair a broken tibia and fibula, the team said in a statement Monday morning. Hutchinson is expected to miss the remainder of the year, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported.
Detroit added that there is “no timeline” for Hutchinson’s return to play at this time, but Lions coach Dan Campbell provided on Monday a more definitive and optimistic outlook.
“Let me say this: Look, it’s four to six months. I would never count Hutch out. Ever,” Campbell told reporters. “So, probably a long road, but I would never count him out. I would say if anybody can make it back, it’d be him.”
After suffering the gruesome injury in Detroit’s lopsided win over the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday, Hutchinson was transported to Baylor White Medical Center in Irving, Texas, for immediate surgery. His return won’t be as rapid.
Hutchinson will travel back to Detroit this week and is expected to make a full recovery, the Lions said in a statement. The pass rusher should be ready for the start of the 2025 campaign, Rapoport reported.
Hutchinson’s season-ending fate isn’t unexpected, but the confirmation doesn’t make it any less of a blow for Detroit to lose its defense’s high-running motor.
Entering Week 6, Hutchinson led the NFL with 6.5 sacks, and he’d played only four games due to the Lions’ Week 5 bye. Coming off his first Pro Bowl campaign, the 24-year-old, who ends his year with 7.5 sacks and 19 tackles, was well on his way to another sensational season and perhaps carving out a spot as one of the league’s true elite pass rushers.
Now, the 2022 NFL Draft’s No. 2 overall pick will be absent from the Lions’ quest to repeat as NFC North champions.
It’s never easy to fill the void left by the loss of a star player, but Hutchinson’s absence could shine a light on Detroit’s lack of depth rushing the passer.
On the inside, Alim McNeill has been excellent and had two sacks against the Cowboys, but nobody else on the team has more than 1.5 sacks on the season. There will be no replacing Hutchinson, but the likes of Levi Onwuzurike, Josh Pascal and rookie Isaac Ukwu will have larger roles and need to step up for Detroit.
