Is Aidan Hutchinson out for the season? Latest on Lions pass rusher after horror injury vs Dallas

Aidan Hutchinson was taken off the field in the third quarter of the Detroit Lions' game against the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday. He suffered a severe leg injury and the Lions ruled him out almost immediately after.

Let's take a look at the chances of the star defensive end returning to action before the end of the regular season.

Is Aidan Hutchinson out for the season?

After the game, Detroit Lions coach Dan Campbell said that Hutchinson was diagnosed with a broken tibia and that he would be having immediate surgery. Campbell added that Hutchinson will be "out for a while," and it's unclear when he'll return to action. The earliest Hutchinson could return might be in the NFL playoffs.

Furthermore, NFL insider Ian Rapoport posted on X that Hutchinson is expected to miss the rest of the season. So it will take a herculean effort to see him back before January.

Who could replace Aidan Hutchinson?

Aidan Hutchinson is a key part of the Lions' defense. Due to his foot speed, evasiveness and football IQ, he is a quarterback's nightmare. Before he got hurt, he led the league in sacks with 7.5. He also had 19 tackles, 17 QB hits and a forced fumble.

James Houston is listed as his backup on the ESPN depth chart but he's also dealing with an injury. So is Nate Lynn, who's currently on the injured reserve. This leaves practice squad player Isaac Ukwu as the next in line.

The team could move Mekhi Wingo, John Paschal or Kyle Peko to left defensive end to cover for Hutchinson's absence.

The Lions have started the season strong as they have compiled wins over the LA Rams, Arizona Cardinals, Seattle Seahawks and Cowboys. They've been solid on both sides of the ball and it will be interesting to see how Dan Campbell shuffles the pass rush to account for the long-term loss of arguably their most important defensive player.