The Detroit Lions have moved quickly to bolster their defensive line in the wake of Aidan Hutchinson’s devastating season-ending injury.

Hutchinson led the NFL in sacks before he suffered fractures to both his tibia and fibula in the dominant victory over the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday. The Lions’ defensive talisman had surgery shortly after the game and has been ruled out for the remainder of the season.

The former No. 2 overall pick mustered a hellacious burst off the edge to home in on Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott, but in the process of making the sack, he collided with the leg of teammate Alim McNeill.

It was obvious from the only replay shown on the FOX broadcast that Hutchinson had broken his leg, and his teammates could not conceal their emotions as the Pro Bowler was taken from the field on a cart.

But they responded admirably, putting the finishing touches on a brutal 47-9 win over the Cowboys to improve to 4-1 on the season. But there is no doubt that Hutchinson leaves a huge void on the defensive line and in the locker room, dealing a huge blow to the Lions’ Super Bowl ambitions.

Trade options, as a result, have been a big talking point with a view to the Lions maintaining a reliable pass rush, with wantaway New York Jets defensive end Haason Reddick among the options on the market.

Thomas featured prominently for the Browns as a rookie

Thomas featured prominently for the Browns as a rookie ( 

Image:

Jason Miller/Getty Images)

But the Lions made a much more low-profile move on Tuesday, signing Isaiah Thomas off the Cincinnati Bengals practice squad. The 25-year-old was a seventh-round pick by the Cleveland Browns in 2022 and appeared in 10 games in his rookie seasons, recording nine tackles, one sack and a fumble recovery.

But the former Oklahoma star has not seen the field since, spending one year on the Browns practice squad before being cut in August and joining the Bengals.

Hutchinson had 6.5 sacks to his name at the time of his injury, and Thomas will not be tasked with matching his huge production. But it is another option for defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn to deploy in pass rush packages.

Head coach Dan Campbell gave an update on Hutchinson’s condition on Monday. “The surgery went great, it is all good news,” he said. “It’s probably 4-6 months, but I would never count Hutch out. It hurts, but if anyone could make it back, it is him.”

Quarterback Jared Goff summed up the significance of Hutchinson’s injury to the team after securing the win in Dallas.

“It’s really tough and he’s a guy who’s part of the heartbeat of this team,” Goff said. “He will be fine, you know, he’s going to come back eventually, whenever that may be, but knowing him, he will be fine and he will bounce back.”