The Detroit Lions were all smiles after beating the New England Patriots 35-10 in Munich on Sunday for their fifth straight win.
But a few hours later, they lost their best defensive player for the rest of the season.
Defensive end Aidan Hutchinson hurt his right knee on the Patriots’ opening drive. He jumped into the air to celebrate a third-and-goal sack of quarterback Drake Maye, and his knee buckled when he landed.
He walked off under his own power and went to the blue medical tent, then to the locker room. The Lions ruled him out shortly after. After the game, head coach Dan Campbell said the team would “know more once we get back in the states.”
The answer came sooner than that.
Aidan Hutchinson Suffers Season-Ending Knee Injury
Netflix and The Ringer’s Tom Pelissero delivered the bad news on Sunday afternoon.
“Lions star DE Aidan Hutchinson suffered a significant knee injury, sources tell @ringer @netflixsports,” Pelissero posted on X. “Imaging in Munich confirmed the injury to Hutchinson, whose right knee buckled as he celebrated a sack against the Patriots. He’s out for the season.”
NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport also reported that Hutchinson would be out “for the foreseeable future.”
Neither report named the exact injury. Injury analyst Dr. David Chao’s immediate concern during the game was a torn ACL. The usual nine- to 12-month recovery for that injury could cut into next season too.
It’s also a cruel case of déjà vu for Hutchinson. In October 2024, he fractured his tibia and fibula while sacking Dak Prescott in a 47-9 win over the Dallas Cowboys. He missed the final 12 games of that season.
Lions Have to Move On Without Hutchinson — Again
The injury comes a year after the Lions made Hutchinson one of the highest-paid defenders in the NFL. He signed a four-year, $180 million extension last October.
It includes $141 million guaranteed — the most ever for a non-quarterback, and it doesn’t kick in until next season.
The Michigan alum had six sacks through nine games this season. He’s coming off a career-high 14.5 sacks in 2025.
However, the Lions got a glimpse of life without him in Munich.
Detroit sacked the Patriots four more times after Hutchinson left. Two of those sacks came from rookie edge-rusher Derrick Moore, the player Campbell singled out after the game.
“I know this — Derrick Moore gets better every game,” Campbell said. “The more reps he gets, he gets better.”
The 2026 second-round pick now has sacks in back-to-back games, and he’s about to get a lot more reps.
The 7-2 Lions, now in first place in the NFC North, host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Ford Field next Sunday.
Lions Get Devastating Season-Ending Injury News on Aidan Hutchinson