The Detroit Lions outplayed the Cowboys in their week 6 matchup at AT&T Stadium but had to pay a price for it. Their star pass rusher, Aidan Hutchinson, suffered an unprecedented collision and this could spell bad news for the player if he hurt his peroneal nerve.
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As it appeared, the injury involves a lower leg fracture, likely affecting both the fibula and tibia, known as a compound fracture. The full severity is still under assessment. Dr. Jesse Morse hopes the injury affects only the bones and doesn’t involve the peroneal nerve, which could lead to foot drop.
If the peroneal nerve is affected, Aidan may face additional ankle issues, potentially requiring surgical intervention. Such complications could end his season and might also impact his lateral tibial plateau.
Aidan Hutchinson
Left lower leg injury
This is likely a fracture, but the question is which bone and the severity.
Initial thought is a (proximal) fibula + tibia fracture, which is called a hopefully he doesn’t have an injury to his peroneal nerve, which would lead to foot… pic.twitter.com/VI3ubL12Kg
— Jesse Morse, MD (@DrJesseMorse) October 13, 2024
The injury occurred early in the 3rd quarter. The Lions were comfortably leading 34-6 and Hutchinson made his way towards Dak Prescott for a sack.
While he did get a sack, it came at a cost. In that moment, his left leg collided with the leg of his teammate Alim McNeil, making his left snap above the ankle. Hutchinson went down and was immediately taken off the field by the medical staff.
While the concern for Aidan’s injury grows in the Lions camp, Isaac Ukwu might top the list as his backup. The team also has James Houston, who is yet to prove his worth in the team.
Meanwhile, another injury expert Dr Jeff Mueller also elaborated on the injury as he recalled the horrible moment when the star defender snapped his leg.
Injury expert Dr Jeff Mueller reacts to Aidan Hutchinson’s injury
Dr. Jeff Mueller, a renowned orthopedic doctor, posted a video of Hutchinson’s horrific injury but with a trigger warning. He also shared the initial opinion that it appeared to be a fracture of the left tibia and fibula.
He also noted that these types of injuries are common in MMA when fighters use shin blocks to defend against leg kicks. He speculated that it will take close to a year for Aidan to regain full fitness and get back to the same level.
This might cause issue for the Lions, who are 4-1 until now. Hutchinson is a crucial part of the squad, as Coach Campbell also pointed out. There is a significant contrast between his performance and that of other linemen on the squad.
He has 14 quarterback hits, which is nearly as many as every other Detroit player combined (16). Dan Campbell updated the media on the star pass rusher’s condition. He stated that Aidan would stay in Texas and would be out for a while.
Aidan Hutchinson –
Look away if squeamish.
Concern for left Tibia/Fibula fracture after impact with his teammates shin.Often see these in MMA with the shin block during leg kicks. Brutal injury.#OnePride pic.twitter.com/i493KtvET6
— Jeff Mueller, PT, DPT (@jmthrivept) October 13, 2024
The Lions ended up winning the match comfortably 47-9. While Hutchinson’s injury is a matter of concern, four defensive ends including James Houston, Nate Flynn, Marcus Davenport, and John Cominsky are all out.
Reportedly, the defensive player will undergo an X-ray and an MRI. This will help understand the severity of the injury. Nonetheless, as the Lions will meet the dominant Vikings, they are likely to miss Hutchinson, who entered Week 6 with a season-high 6.5 sacks and raised that number to 7.5 against Dallas.
