The Detroit Lions have lost Aidan Hutchinson to injury for a long time, potentially for the entire season. It certainly put a damper on Detroit’s emphatic win over the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday. Unfortunately, the news is not getting any better. The Lions have lost another defender — Kyle Peko — to injury.
Peko left Sunday’s game in the first quarter with a pectoral injury. He did not return to the game, and it’s unlikely he will return this season. He suffered a pectoral tear in the game against Dallas, according to NFL insider Tom Pelissero. He is likely to undergo season-ending surgery, as Pelissero notes.
This is another blow to the depth of Detroit’s offensive line. Peko signed as a free agent in the offseason to deepen this group. In five games, the 31-year-old Oregon State product recorded two total tackles for Detroit.
Lions exploring options after losing Aidan Hutchinson, Kyle Peko
The Lions were certainly likely to make some sort of move after losing Aidan Hutchinson for the season. However, Detroit losing two defensive linemen for the season in one fell swoop may force matters. Head coach Dan Campbell spoke with reporters on Monday. And he did admit the team was looking at its options. For now, though, he is focused on the group available to him.
“Yeah. I mean, listen, my job is to coach what’s here and I’m going to coach the hell out of them, and we are as a staff,” Campbell said, via the Detroit Free Press. “And so, yeah, I do (think we can win with what we have). And if we get somebody, great. If we don’t, these are our guys. And the coaches know that.”
Detroit is looking to internal options to replace Hutchinson for now. As mentioned, though, the Lions are exploring their options outside of the organization. However, Campbell stressed that any move from Detroit has to make sense for his team. They are not making a move to simply make a move.
“Is there somebody out there that could potentially help us? What is it going to cost? And so those things will always come up, but just because that’s there, it doesn’t mean we’re going to do it. And it’s got to be right if it is. Everything’s got to be right,” the Lions coach said, via the Detroit Free Press.
It will certainly be interesting to see how the Lions move forward. Detroit has a major test ahead of them on Sunday. The Lions take on their undefeated NFC North rival Minnesota Vikings on Sunday at home in the Motor City.