The Detroit Lions may have beaten the Dallas Cowboys 47-9 on Sunday, but the win came at a great cost to its imposing defensive line.
Star defensive end Aidan Hutchinson suffered what the team is calling "a broken tibia" (h/t Adam Schefter) while sacking Dallas quarterback Dak Prescott in the second half Sunday.
The video replays indicated Hutchinson's left leg was injured unintentionally by a Dallas offensive lineman as both players' momentums met in a clash mid-sack.
Hutchinson spent a significant amount of time lying on the field as he was tended to by medical personnel and eventually carted off the field to a supportive ovation by both teams and fans in the stadium.
Per Schefter, Hutchinson required "immediate surgery" to repair his broken tibia.
NFL Network's Ian Rapoport posted that the 2023 Pro Bowler will be staying overnight at a Dallas-area hospital and that Detroit head coach Dan Campbell said Hutchinson will "be down for a little while."
"It's hard when you lose somebody like him," Campbell continued as his postgame news conference. "He's in good hands right now ... [We] obviously wish him the best."
Including his costly sack of Prescott on Sunday, Hutchinson had logged 7.5 sacks and 19 total tackles through five games — making him an early candidate for Defensive Player of the Year.
The 24-year-old earned AP Defensive Rookie of the Year honors in 2022 after being drafted second overall out of Michigan.
