Biggest Ripple Effects of Aidan Hutchinson's Season-Ending Injury on 2024 NFL Season

The Detroit Lions may have cruised to an impressive 4-1 start to the 2024 NFL season, but they have now been dealt a crushing blow.

After the Week 6 win over the Dallas Cowboys, it was revealed that star edge-rusher Aidan Hutchinson will miss the remainder of the campaign with a fractured tibia and fibula suffered in the game.

The 2022 No. 2 overall pick suffered the injury early in the third quarter of Sunday's 47-9 victory over the Cowboys, dampening a result that was cause for celebration in the Motor City.

The organization revealed Hutchinson underwent successful surgery to repair his leg and is expected to make a full recovery, with the NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reporting that he should be back in the lineup by the start of the 2025 season.

Unfortunately for the Lions, that timeline means the 24-year-old won't be available to help avenge last season's disheartening NFC Championship Game collapse or make the franchise's hoped-for first-ever Super Bowl appearance.

Will the Lions find a way to stay the course and defend their NFC North title, or will they collapse after losing their best defender? Can Detroit's brass land a replacement on the trade market? Who will take over as the Defensive Player of the Year front-runner with the NFL's sack leader now out of the running?

Read on for answers to these questions and more while examining the biggest ripple effects of Hutchinson's season-ending injury.

Prior to Hutchinson's injury, the Detroit Lions seemed set to stand pat at the trade deadline. While there was a chance the team could have made some minor moves, it didn't need any massive adjustments following such a hot start to the year.

The Lions now appear likely to make at least one move to reinforce the edge. They may even be desperate for a pass-rusher if in-house options such as undrafted rookie Isaac Ukwu and inconsistent veteran James Houston fail to distinguish themselves before the November 5 deadline.

Here are some options Detroit might explore while trying to replace Hutchinson's incredible production:

Haason Reddick, New York Jets

The Jets' decision to trade for Haason Reddick has failed to pan out in spectacular fashion.

With the 30-year-old continuing to hold out and Gang Green seemingly unlikely to cave to his demands after resisting this long, the Jets may prefer to end the standoff by sending him to a squad desperate for pass-rushing talent.

If the Lions put a respectable offer on the table that helps the Jets recoup something in the neighborhood of the conditional third-round pick they gave up for Reddick, it could be enough to convince New York's brass to move on from this situation.

Maxx Crosby, Las Vegas Raiders

Maxx Crosby, one of the few bright spots on a dysfunctional Raiders squad, could be a trade candidate leading up to the deadline.

Vegas appears likely to part ways with Davante Adams in the near future, and Crosby could be the next domino to fall if the club opts to start stockpiling assets for a rebuild.

While Crosby would help keep Detroit dangerous on the edge—he's already racked up 5.5 sacks and 20 tackles in just five games this year—the finances of such a trade could be tricky.

The 27-year-old still has two years remaining on the four-year extension he signed in March 2022, which was bumped up in value to $99 million this past offseason.

In addition to the hefty amount of capital it would take to convince the Raiders to send Crosby to Detroit, it would also require some cap wizardry on behalf of Lions GM Brad Holmes to fit the veteran under the cap.

If Detroit manages to pull such a move off, though, it would cement the team's status as a Super Bowl favorite.

The Defensive Player of the Year race received a massive shakeup this weekend.

After opening the year behind Nick Bosa, Maxx Crosby and T.J. Watt on the odds table, Hutchinson put himself in the lead following a scintillating Week 2 outing in which he tallied 4.5 sacks.

Although he was on par to set the league's sack record, his chances of earning the hardware are now zero following his season-ending injury.

Without Hutchinson in the mix, Watt becomes the overwhelming favorite to take home Defensive Player of the Year honors for the second time.

The Pittsburgh Steelers star has +125 odds at DraftKings Sportsbook, well ahead of Crosby at +900 as well as rising Houston Texans star Will Anderson Jr. and San Francisco 49ers veteran Fred Warner, who are both currently at +1000.

Watt is currently on pace for 13 sacks, 71 tackles (23 for a loss), 28 quarterback hits and eight forced fumbles. He's been instrumental in the Steelers getting off to a rather unexpected 4-2 start, a record that certainly plays a role in determining his betting line.

Although he'll likely need to up his sack pace a bit to guarantee his second trophy in four years, the 30-year-old should capture DPOY honors if he can continue his current trajectory while guiding Pittsburgh to a playoff berth.

The NFC North has become the most competitive division in football. All four teams have jumped out to 4-2 records or better heading into Week 7, with the Minnesota Vikings remaining one of the last two undefeated teams in the league.

DraftKings Sportsbook odds reflect just how strong the NFC North is this year. Detroit and Minnesota are both co-favorites to capture the divisional crown at +140, while the Green Bay Packers are sitting in third place at +500 and the Chicago Bears stand a distant fourth at +1100.

It's highly unlikely this Vikings team will finish the year undefeated, though, and the Lions will have ample opportunity to make up ground on their rivals. The upcoming Week 7 clash between these front-runners—a game that has become far more important than it appeared when the schedule was released—will be the first chance the Lions get to move ahead in the standings.

Detroit is a slight underdog for the contest, a change from the offseason when it opened as three-point favorites. The rise of Sam Darnold as a legitimate starter for Minnesota, coupled with the loss of Hutchinson, has resulted in the Vikings laying two points at home to their longtime rival.

If the Lions can overcome Hutchinson's absence and find a way to pressure Darnold, they'll be in position to come away from their first divisional matchup of the year with a road upset.

Given the winner will take over the NFC North driver's seat, the results of this matchup and Week 18 rematch appear likely to have a big hand in determining which side will host playoff games and which will start the Wild Card Round on the road.

The Lions may have lost their defensive leader, but they are still in the upper echelon of NFC contenders and even saw their odds of winning the conference spike up in Week 6.

Detroit is now +370 at DraftKings Sportsbook to make it back to the NFC Championship Game and win it this time, up from +500 heading into its thrashing of the Dallas Cowboys.

The Lions decimated an opponent many expected to be a legitimate Super Bowl contender this year, dropping 47 points on the road against a Cowboys defense that had only given up 32 points over the previous two games combined.

Perhaps most impressively, Detroit held Dallas to a single field goal following Hutchinson's exit early in the second half. It was an especially promising showing that indicates the Lions might have the depth on hand to remain a top-tier defense without 2022's No. 2 overall pick.

While Detroit still trails the San Francisco 49ers (+300) on the list of NFC favorites, it will eventually get a direct shot at usurping the team that knocked them out in last year's conference championship game.

Detroit and San Francisco are scheduled to meet in Week 17 in what could be a playoff game preview. If the Lions can avoid collapsing without Hutchinson in the lineup, that showdown will likely determine which squad goes into the postseason as the favorite to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl

The Lions were a trendy Super Bowl pick this year and that won't change despite Hutchinson's absence. While some may doubt their ability to win it all without the elite edge-rusher, recent line movement indicates that isn't a common sentiment.

Detroit has only gained steam heading into Week 7, moving from +1100 to +850 at DraftKings Sportsbook to capture the franchise's first-ever Lombardi Trophy.

That jump represented one of the biggest moves up the Super Bowl odds list this week, with only the Atlanta Falcons (+3000 to +2500), Tampa Bay Buccaneers (+5000 to +3500) and Chicago Bears (+7000 to +3500) seeing larger improvements.

While Detroit's chances surged, some potential playoff foes experienced a dip in odds in wake of disappointing outings. The Cowboys dropped all the way to +3500 after opening Week 6 with +2500 odds, and the New Orleans Saints no longer look like realistic contenders after plummeting from +3500 to +9000.

While the Lions would surely have better odds had Hutchinson not been injured, they remain in better shape than all but three other teams.

The Kansas City Chiefs (+500) are still the favorite, which is hardly a shock given the back-to-back defending champs are building toward an unprecedented three-peat. The San Francisco 49ers (+700) and Baltimore Ravens (+700) aren't far behind either, although the Lions could claw their way ahead of all three teams with a strong performance in the back half of the campaign.

If Detroit finds a way to thrive without Hutchinson and continues to put up big wins like the one it put together on Sunday over Dallas, it could enter the 2025 NFL playoffs as the top choice to win Super Bowl LIX.