The Detroit Lions (4-1) are coming off their third straight win and fourth of the season, but it proved to be a costly one.
During the Lions’ 47-9 win over the Dallas Cowboys in Week 6, star pass-rusher Aidan Hutchinson suffered a broken tibia and underwent immediate surgery at a Dallas-area hospital.
It’s a big loss for Detroit, as Hutchinson leads the NFL in sacks (7.5). That’s why many believe the team, which has Super Bowl aspirations, should look to replace him.
Head coach Dan Campbell didn’t rule out the possibility of that happening but hinted it won’t anytime soon.
“Look, we’re open to anything,” Campbell said via Kevin Patra of NFL.com. “(General manager) Brad (Holmes) has been working through it. We are not going to be in a hurry. Brad is doing his homework. The crew is doing their homework. They’re looking at everything. But we’re not going to just make a move to make it. It’s got to be right. It’s got to be the right guy, and the pieces have to fall in place.”
It isn’t that the Lions don’t won’t to strengthen their defensive line after losing Hutchinson. It’s the fact that elite edge-rushers rarely come available.
Campbell also recognizes that if a player of that caliber does become available, it won’t be easy to acquire him.
“Look, Brad knows the ins and outs of what it would take to acquire somebody,” Campbell added. “I don’t know all of those, but I know enough to know that if it’s somebody that is highly productive, 6-foot-6, 285 pounds, run a 4.4 and 35-inch arms. Those guys don’t just fall off trees. …Some of it is, certainly, trade value. It’s also contract. Does that have a bearing on our future and who we’re trying to get signed moving forward.”
It seems that in the meantime, Detroit will role with edge-rushers Josh Paschal and James Houston, who have a combined 59 tackles, 11 sacks, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery since being drafted in 2022.
If Paschal and Houston underwhelm, the Lions will likely reevaluate. However, the team looks willing to give them that opportunity with a little bit of hope that Hutchinson could still make a comeback this season.
“It’s four to six months,” Campbell said via Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk. “I would never count Hutch out. Ever. Long road, but I would never count him out. If anyone can make it back, it’s him.”
Detroit will get its first look at its defense without Hutchinson in Week 7 when it goes on the road to take on the Minnesota Vikings (5-0).