Aidan Hutchinson wears his emotions on his sleeves.
The Detroit Lions star has never been one to hide his personality on the field, but he also stepped up as a leader when one of his own went down. Jack Campbell, the Lions' All-Pro linebacker, was carted off the field with an injury during the fourth quarter.
Campbell was placed onto a backboard after making a tackle and was surrounded by medical staff and concerned teammates.
Hutchinson was chief amongst them, attempting to rally his defense as the situation evolved on the field. NFL on Fox camera showed an emotional Hutchinson, clearly shaken by what happened to his teammate.
An emotional @aidanhutch97 being a leader for the @Lions defense after Jack Campbell was carted off. pic.twitter.com/ssy0VQVlNi
— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) November 1, 2026
Quarterback Jared Goff told reporters after the game that Campbell's injury was a reality check.
"Definitely scary and just brings you back to reality for a moment," Goff said. "He's a husband and a father. We're praying for him and hoping he's gonna be alright. If I know anyone that's tough enough to get through something like that, it's gonna be him."
The quarterback pointed out that it isn't easy to get back into the game after a major injury like that.
"It's always so surreal, stuff like that happens, blow the whistle and we're off again," Goff said after the game. "It's hard. It's really hard and I think you gotta remind these guys are humans and deal with stuff."
Of course, there is still a game to be won or lost and the Lions took care of business against the Minnesota Vikings. It was the Vikings' first loss of the season and helped Detroit claw back into second place in the NFC North – a swing game for both teams.
Minnesota had the chance to put some distance between itself and the other contenders, but that is secondary now.
Getting a clean bill of health for Campbell would serve as the real victory.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Jack Campbell injury brings Aidan Hutchinson, Lions teammates to tears
