Lions heartbroken after star breaks shin

Arlington, Texas – Things were going so well for the Detroit Lions in their 47-9 win over the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday.

Four different players scored on offense – including recently signed running back David Montgomery – and the defense forced five turnovers. It looked like the Lions were playing backyard football at times, pulling out one trick after another. They attempted to score a touchdown on an offensive lineman several times – a small (but hilarious) move considering how last season's game ended.

But the good mood took a dramatic turn in the third quarter when star pass rusher Aidan Hutchinson broke his tibia while sacking Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott. Hutchinson's left leg spun while tackling the QB and it appeared to break upon collision with teammate Alim McNeill.

The pain was immediately apparent as Hutchinson removed his helmet and squeezed the shoulder of one of the trainers working on him. Suddenly, the Lions' party at AT&T Stadium turned dark.

“At that moment I didn’t know what to think,” McNeill said. “I was kind of lost and then we had to get back in the game. I don't know. It was kind of empty, to be honest.”

Hutchinson had roiled the league at the start of the 2024 season, recording an NFL-best 7½ sacks until his injury. He had 40 pressures on Sunday, according to Pro Football Focus. That was No. 1 in the NFL, a remarkable number given Detroit's early bye week.

“I think of him; “The whole team is thinking about him,” said team captain Amon-Ra St. Brown. “I feel like the entire city of Detroit is thinking about him and wants nothing but the quickest recovery for him. He has crazy pace this year. I feel like he was the winning defensive player of the year with the pace he had. … I know we're all thinking about him. It's terrible to see.

Teammates surrounded Hutchinson as trainers tended to him and spoke to him as he was taken away. McNeill said they wanted to let him know they would play for him: “I feel like we did that, but it kind of threw everyone off in the middle of the game,” McNeill added. “But I definitely told him we would play for Hutch. It was just scary to see.”

Left tackle Taylor Decker, the senior Lion and respected team leader, compared Hutchinson's impact on defense to Montgomery's on offense. They set the tone on their respective sides.

“Outside of the football aspect, you just have a lot of respect for the guy because of how he goes about his business as a man and a teammate,” Decker said. “Because he gives everything he has for us. … I just know how much it means to him to be able to go out and play with his teammates.”

Isaac Ukwu, who made his NFL debut as a pass rusher on Sunday, added: “Honestly, he gives it his all. He's a great guy, he's a great player (and) a great teammate. … To see a guy like that go.” To be crushed and to see him suffer like that, you know it was something serious.

Replacing Hutchinson's production will be difficult, if not impossible, for the Lions in their current state. He played like one of the best defenders in the league and we will sorely miss his presence in the final 12 games of the regular season and in everything that follows.

“You're just disappointed in him and you just hope he's okay as Aidan,” Decker said. “We know that Aidan, the football player, will be fine when we get him back. But yeah, it’s heartbreaking.”

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