Lions Lose $45M Star After Celebrating Sack in Germany

Lions pass rusher Aidan Hutchinson, one of the NFL’s highest-paid defensive players, suffered a knee injury while celebrating a sack of Patriots quarterback Drake Maye during Sunday’s game in Munich.

The sack resulted in an ankle injury for Maye, the runner-up for the NFL’s MVP award last season, that forced him out of the game.

The calamitous play and its aftermath sparked discussions about whether Hutchinson’s hit on Maye had been an illegal hip-drop tackle.

Hutchinson’s injury, apparently to his right knee, would be a major blow to the Lions’ chances as they try to keep pace in the highly competitive NFC North race.

His four-year, $180 million contract extension with the Lions makes him the NFL’s 17th-highest-paid player, according to the Front Office Sports rankings, based on its $45 million average annual value. He’s third among non-quarterbacks, behind only fellow pass rushers Will Anderson Jr. of the Texans and Micah Parsons of the Packers.

Hutchinson jumped and raised his right fist to celebrate his sack of Maye to end the Patriots’ opening offensive possession of Sunday’s game. After he landed from his leap, he immediately fell to the turf and grabbed his right leg. Hutchinson left the game and walked to the locker room, accompanied by members of the Lions’ medical staff.

The Lions initially called him questionable to return to the game because of a knee injury. He was later spotted in street clothes and on crutches within the stadium. Late in the third quarter, the Lions officially ruled him out

Hutchinson is in his fifth season with the Lions after being chosen No. 2 overall in the 2022 NFL Draft out of the University of Michigan. He is a two-time Pro Bowl selection. He missed most of the 2024 season after suffering a fractured tibia and fibula in his left leg during an October game at Dallas.

Some social media commenters suggested that Hutchinson’s hit on Maye was illegal. Under NFL rules, an illegal hip-drop tackle must contain several elements, including the tackler grabbing the ballcarrier, swiveling and unweighting himself, and falling on the leg or legs of the ballcarrier. It was not clear whether Hutchinson’s tackle of Maye contained all of those elements.

“It’s not a hip drop. … This was more of a horse-collar type,” Fox rules analyst Mike Pereira said during the network’s broadcast of the game, citing a different form of tackle that also is illegal.

Hutchinson was not penalized for the hit, though the league has fined players for hip-drop tackles even if they weren’t penalized..

The Patriots initially called Maye questionable to return to the game and then ruled out a return by him Sunday. Maye finished second to Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford in last season’s MVP voting and helped the Patriots to reach the Super Bowl. But things have not gone as well for him and his team this season.

Sunday’s game was played at Allianz Arena, the home field of soccer powerhouse Bayern Munich. The field was extended at its north and south ends to meet the NFL’s field dimensions, according to the stadium’s website.

Issues related to field conditions and injury concerns regularly have been raised at the NFL’s international games. Those concerns were particularly intense ahead of the Ravens-Cowboys game in Rio de Janeiro in September, although the participants said afterward the field had held up well.

Bayern’s last game at the stadium was last Saturday, Nov. 7, before Germany’s Bundesliga went on an international break. NFL players had complained in previous years about the playing field in Munich, which is a hybrid surface made up of mostly natural grass.

It’s not clear whether the field conditions played any role in Sunday’s injuries. This was the eighth of the nine international games on the NFL’s schedule this season.