Yahoo Sports’ Jason Fitz and senior NFL writer Frank Schwab react to the Lions defensive lineman’s season-ending injury in Sunday’s win over the Cowboys. Hear the full conversation on “Inside Coverage” – and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you listen.
I think the biggest news coming out of this game honestly is the Aden Hutchinson injury, which was awful.
And if you’re squeamish at all, do not watch it because it is one of those like injuries you’re gonna remember in 20 years, you’re gonna be like, oh yeah, Aideen Hutchinson’s leg and he’s obviously done for the year unless he’s Superman.
I, I don’t see him playing again till 2025 obviously.
And I don’t, I don’t know that there’s a defensive player in the entire NFL that means more to his defense than Ayden Hutchinson because even some of the other great defensive players, there’s other guys on those defense to make up the slack.
I think Ayden Hutchinson pulls so much weight on that defense that he might be the guy like he might be the most indispensable player on the defensive side of the ball in the NFL, maybe TJ Watt, whatever.
And now they don’t have him anymore.
And I immediately thought just bad, you know, just felt bad for Hayden Hutchinson who great player was on his way to contending for defensive player of the year.
Great story coming from Michigan and all this stuff.
And after I thought that, you know, really feeling sad for Aidan, I thought, I don’t know, the Lions can win a Super Bowl without him.
I, I just don’t know if the, I think the offense is gonna be great all year, but I don’t know if the defense can keep up without Ayden Hutchinson.
That is a massive loss for the Lions.
And I feel so sick for their fans who had to feel so good when the score was 40 to 9 or whatever it was when Adan got hurt that all of a sudden they, they kind of saw their season, uh kind of crumble a little bit and their Super Bowl chances took a big, big hit with Aidan Hutchinson going out.
Yeah, I think part of what we have to define here with the Lions is what is success, right?
If success is being one of the best teams in the league and making the playoffs, they’re still going to do that in my mind.
If success is getting to and winning a Super Bowl much harder without Aidan Hutchinson, I think you’re absolutely right.
And I think it is making a Super Bowl this year fits, I think after last season, look, they tasted it.
They’ve tasted to be a good team that could make the NFC championship game.
They, if they make the NFC championship game this year and lose as, as much as I hate to say this because I, I hate this whole, like, you know, the Bob, if you’re not first or last, that’s not true.
But in the lions’ case, it would just feel so it would just feel so disappointing if they don’t make a Super Bowl because they know they got the team for it that this is a team that can win a Super B but not, maybe not without a.
