By Blessing 
Hutchinson Avoids Further NFL Punishment as Lions Regroup for Commanders Clash
Detroit Lions star edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson won’t face any additional punishment from the NFL for his controversial play in last week’s loss to the Minnesota Vikings.
The league released its list of Week 9 fines on Saturday, and although several players were docked for tripping penalties, Hutchinson’s name was not among them.
Hutchinson’s Tripping Flag on J.J. McCarthy
During Detroit’s 27–24 defeat in Minnesota, Hutchinson drew a 15-yard flag after he appeared to stick out his leg to trip Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy while making a sack. Officials immediately penalized the play, but after review, the league decided no fine was necessary.
The NFL routinely reviews all flagged and unflagged plays to determine if financial penalties are warranted. In this case, they ruled Hutchinson’s action didn’t merit further discipline.
History of Close Calls
This isn’t the first time Hutchinson has dodged a fine following a flagged hit. Earlier this season, he was penalized for a late hit on Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, yet avoided financial punishment afterward.
However, he’s not completely unfamiliar with fines—back in 2023, the league hit him with an $11,473 penalty for a roughing-the-passer infraction during a matchup with the Carolina Panthers.
Lions Trying to Regain Momentum
Detroit enters Week 10 searching for redemption after the Vikings loss cost them a chance to reclaim first place in the NFC North. They now trail the Green Bay Packers by half a game and have already matched last season’s total number of losses.
Head coach Dan Campbell sees a silver lining in flying a bit under the radar.
> “It’s good to be a little bit of an afterthought again,” Campbell told reporters Friday, via the team’s official site. “It’s nice. It’s like, ‘Hey man, all good.’ There’re some teams playing some good football, and we’re whatever, and that’s all good, man. This is good. We’ll go about our business over in the corner and get our stuff right and come out humming. So, it’s good.”
Campbell added that he had warned the team about the inevitable scrutiny that comes after a nearly perfect season.
> “When you win 15 games and only lose two, people see things differently when you lose one,” he explained. “If you lose more than two, they’ll ask, ‘What’s going on?’ So, I told our guys to be ready for that.”
Looking Ahead
The Lions now prepare for a matchup against the Washington Commanders, who are also battling injury woes. Rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels dislocated his elbow in last week’s game versus the Seahawks and will miss this week, though he could return later this season.
Detroit has its own injury struggles, especially in the secondary, with Khalil Dorsey and D.J. Reed on injured reserve and safety Kerby Joseph sidelined with a knee injury.