DPOY Favorite Aidan Hutchinson Suffers Gruesome, Likely Season-Ending Injury

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Everything was going right for the Detroit Lions on Sunday against the Dallas Cowboys. And then, it all changed. 

Although the Lions absolutely dominated the Cowboys at AT&T Stadium all game, there's an argument that the game was more of a loss than a win. 

That's because star defensive end Aidan Hutchinson, the No. 2 pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, suffered what appeared to be a season-ending leg injury while sacking Dallas quarterback Dak Prescott. 

Hutchinson's leg appeared to make contact with a teammate and looked to snap in half. Fox cameras showed Hutchinson lying on the ground, and he appeared to be saying, "It's broken. It's broken." 

Detroit Lions defender Aidan Hutchinson, one of the best defensive players in the NFL, suffered a gruesome leg injury against the Dallas Cowboys.

Detroit Lions defender Aidan Hutchinson, one of the best defensive players in the NFL, suffered a gruesome leg injury against the Dallas Cowboys.

(Sam Hodde/Getty Images)

Video certainly supports the fact that his leg is broken, which would almost certainly end his season. 

Trainers immediately immobilized the leg in an air cast and carted Hutchinson from the field. 

The video is potentially disturbing to those who don't like to see people suffer serious injuries. 

Hutchinson entered Sunday's game tied for the NFL lead with 6.5 sacks – and that's despite the Detroit Lions already having had their bye week, meaning Hutchinson had only played in four games. 

He had sacked Prescott on the play where he suffered the injury, which gave him 7.5 sacks on the season, which will likely be his final total for 2024. 

Entering Sunday's game, Hutchinson was the betting favorite to win the NFL's Defensive Player of the Year Award, slightly ahead of Pittsburgh Steelers superstar defensive end T.J. Watt. 

It's a huge blow for the Lions, whose revamped defense has been playing extremely well so far this season, thanks in large part to Hutchinson's disruptive ability up front. 

While Aidan Hutchinson's season appears to be over, the Detroit Lions' season surely isn't. Losing Hutchinson hurts, but Detroit has Super Bowl aspirations. 

Whether they can do it without their defensive star is the big question, but it's one that the team has no choice but to answer. 

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Dan began his sports media career at ESPN, where he survived for nearly a decade. Once the Stockholm Syndrome cleared, he made his way to OutKick. He is secure enough in his masculinity to admit he is a cat-enthusiast with three cats, one of which is named "Brady" because his wife wishes she were married to Tom instead of him.