ARLINGTON, Texas, USA. —
Detroit Lions defensive end Aidan Hutchinson was taken off the field on a stretcher with a serious injury to his left tibia after a sack of Dallas’ Dak Prescott.
Hutchinson will remain in the Dallas area for surgery, Lions coach Dan Campbell said after Sunday’s 47-9 victory over the Cowboys.
Hutchinson’s leg was fractured above the ankle when he collided with teammate Alim McNeill’s left leg while tackling Prescott in the third quarter Sunday.
“I didn’t see it with my own eyes, so I couldn’t tell,” McNeill said. “I didn’t know if it was him or not, but I felt someone hit me with their legs and then I saw Hutch fall. It was horrible to see. I hate that for him.”
The Lions had a 34-6 lead at the time of the injury to Hutchinson, who entered the game as the leader in quarterback sacks with 6 1/2.
There was a delay of about 10 minutes while medical staff tended to Hutchinson while players from both teams formed a large circle around the second overall pick in the 2022 draft.
After Hutchinson was carted away with a cast on his leg, Dallas teammates and players came forward to offer words of encouragement to the 24-year-old. He had Detroit’s third sack of the game. McNeill got the first two.
“It’s hard on everyone when you’re standing there and it’s one of your own and something like that happens,” Campbell said. “If you think about it too much and start playing with reservations, that’s when you get hurt. So the guys recovered immediately and lived the moment we were in.”
Prescott suffered a similar injury at this same stadium in Week 5 in 2020, ending his season.
Dallas’ star quarterback was among the players who tried to offer Hutchinson words of encouragement as he was carted off the field.
“It’s something I felt at the time,” Prescott said. “I’ll probably ask one of the Michigan guys in the locker room for his number and contact him again… When you’re in it, it’s a blur. So I don’t even know if he heard them. I don’t care if he heard them. “I understand where I was.”
