Why Lions’ Aidan Hutchinson was thinking of fans when he went down hard vs. Browns
The Detroit Lions hardly broke a sweat against the Cleveland Browns on Sunday, running away with the easy win, 34-10, at Ford Field.
The Lions notched their third victory in a row after dropping their opening assignment against the Green Bay Packers. Detroit held a commanding lead, 20-7, at halftime after scoring 13 in the second quarter and never looked back.
While they cruised to the convincing win, defensive end Aidan Hutchinson admitted that he experienced a minor concern during the game.
“Aidan Hutchinson said he got the wind knocked out of him at one point during the game. (He) lingered on the ground for a little bit but said he didn't want people to have flashbacks to last year, so he got up quickly after that,” reported The Athletic's Colton Pouncy on X.
The 25-year-old Hutchinson was limited to four games last season after fracturing his tibia and fibula. Before the injury, he had recorded a league-leading 7.5 sacks and 19 total tackles.
But it looks like Hutchinson has fully recovered. He recorded a sack for a third straight game and forced a fumble for the second time in less than a week. He now has four sacks in six total tackles, as he looks to help the Lions top the NFC in back-to-back years.
“I feel like I’m in a good spot, just going to continue to stack games,” said Hutchinson in a report from the Associated Press.
Early this month, Lions coach Dan Campbell didn't hide his excitement to see the one-time Pro Bowler back on the gridiron.
“He’s put in a lot of time, a lot of effort, and a lot of hard work to get back to where he’s at right now. When you have the game taken away from you—for whatever reasons—it just gives you a little extra motivation to come back,” said Campbell in a report from Pro Football Talk's Myles Simmons.
Detroit will gun for a fourth consecutive win against the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday.
Aaron Rodgers' Frustration and Uncertainty Are Causing Tensions in Steelers' Locker Room
The Pittsburgh Steelers are in the middle of a rough stretch after the 2025 season started out so great. They began the year with a record of 4-1, but now the group is 5-4 after going 1-3 in their last four games. The franchise's lead in the AFC North has dwindled down to just one game, and it is hard to imagine the Steelers are going to be able to hang onto the lead in the division with the Baltimore Ravens surging and the Cincinnati Bengals still within reach while Joe Burrow returns to practice. Tensions are clearly rising in Pittsburgh, but the group is going to have to manage that in order to get back in the win column.
There was obvious frustration on the field during Pittsburgh's most recent game against the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 10. The offense had just three points throughout most of the game, and quarterback Aaron Rodgers let his emotions be seen as there were multiple shots of him being disappointed with himself, or of him getting frustrated with teammates.
NFL insider Mike Garafolo spoke about this on Thursday during an episode of Good Morning Football, and he shared that things might not be on solid ground in Pittsburgh at the moment.
"Something's bothering me with the Steelers right now," Garafolo said. "Aaron Rodgers' reactions to his own teammates, to maybe himself, I don't know. There's been a lot of this. I don't love it, right? He strongly hinted that this could be his last NFL season. He hasn't really closed the door or solidified that. I'm not gonna pretend like I know what's going on in his head, but this leads me to believe the whole thing's just not on solid ground right now."
Everyone always overreacts whenever Rodgers acts in certain ways because the media has always attempted to paint him to be the villain, especially during the latter parts of his career with the New York Jets. He has been a great teammate and leader with the Steelers, but Garafolo pointed out that the veteran's reactions on Sunday night were notable, and not in a good way.
The national media jumps at every opportunity to paint Rodgers in a bad light it seems. It is not the best look in the world to be yelling at teammates on the field and whatnot, but that is what comes with playing football, especially quarterback. He is a 41-year old who won the league's MVP Award four times. It's hard to imagine his younger teammates take too much offense when he criticizes their play or voices his displeasure with a miscommunication.
Rodgers has earned the right to act the way he does on the field, but it probably doesn't come off as well during games when he is struggling. That was the case on Sunday night as the quarterback missed plenty of throws, which could be a reason things might be shaky in the locker room.
Steelers' Aaron Rodgers' Future Still Up In The Air
Garafolo also spoke about whether or not Rodgers would be retiring in 2026 or returning to play. He is only on a one-year deal with Pittsburgh, so he would technically be a free agent again during the offseason. However, if he decided to play again, hopefully he would want to return to Pittsburgh. Garafolo spoke as if that pending decision was also causing issues, but that wouldn't make any sense as the entire organization and the entire roster knew that the 2025 season could probably be Rodgers' last.
Pittsburgh will look to get back in the win column against a poor defense on Sunday as the team faces the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 11.
