After losing Aidan Hutchinson for the year, the Lions defensive line has taken another hit. Defensive tackle Kyle Peko is expected to land on injured reserve with season-ending surgery required for a pectoral tear, per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.
Like Hutchinson, Peko sustained the injury in the Lions’ 47-9 blowout of the Cowboys on Sunday. The defensive line absences did not slow them down as the Lions recorded two interceptions even after Hutchinson and Peko left the game.
The Lions will soon have seven defensive linemen on IR once Hutchinson and Peko are officially moved there, joining David Bada, John Cominsky, Marcus Davenport, Nate Lynn and Brodric Martin. Pat O’Connor, Chris Smith, and Isaac Ukwu could all be in line for promotions from the practice squad to bolster Detroit’s defense.
Losing Hutchinson is by far the biggest blow to the Lions’ Super Bowl hopes as the second-year edge rusher was mounting a Defensive Player of the Year campaign with a league-leading 7.5 sacks to start the season. Peko has not been as impactful, occupying a space-eating role in the middle of the defense with just two total tackles on the year. Peko, who has played for six teams since entering the league in 2016, has played 86 defensive snaps for Detroit this season.
The Lions’ defensive line injuries may encourage general manager Brad Holmes to pursue reinforcements at the trade deadline. Detroit’s offense ranks third in the league with 6.3 yards per play, so Holmes is more likely to seek a defender to improve his pass rush after losing Hutchinson.