The Dallas Cowboys‘ Dak Prescott hopes to offer supportive words to Aidan Hutchinson after the Detroit Lions‘ Pro Bowler suffered a devastating leg break during their 47-9 victory on the road at the AT&T Stadium on October 13.
Hutchinson snapped his tibia as he tried to sack Prescott and headed for immediate surgery at a nearby hospital, leaving the NFL leader in sacks, quarterback hits and quarterback pressures out for the season.
The 24-year-old was given emotional signs of respect from his Lions‘ colleagues who left the field to support him with a guard of honor, whilst Cowboys players headed over to him to offer comfort and encouragement.
Now Prescott, who struggled in the win, has no hard feelings for Sunday’s game and wants to reach out to the defensive player to offer him his own empathy after experiencing a similar injury during the 2020 season.
“Obviously, that’s tough to watch,” Prescott said postgame. “As you [reporter] said, having experienced it, knowing where he is in that moment, I hated it. Hated every bit of it. But for me, initially, I just told him to keep his head up.
“It’s part of the story. I promise, the way that this guy started his career [and] the guy he seems to be, he’ll be better after it. I know it’s probably hard to imagine right now. I just told him [on the field] it’s part of the story. It’s part of his story.
“Hell of player. I mean, hell, he did it going out on a sack. So, game changer, wishing him the best in his recovery. I know it’s going to be a mental challenge as much as it is physical, but the way that he started his career, and the player that he seems to be, I imagine he’ll be just fine and recover from it.”
Prescott wants Hutchinson’s number
Prescott suffered his injury in Week 5 of the 2020 season when he sustained a fractured ankle and it similarly left him sidelined for the remainder of the campaign. But since then, he’s responded to become one of the best quarterbacks in the league on a $240m contract.
So there is a way back for Hutchinson, who is young at the age of 24, and Prescott wants to try to encourage him and is aware that the injured player may not remember any words said to him on the field due to the adrenaline rush.
“It’s just something that I felt in the moment,” Prescott said of walking up to Hutchinson on the field. “Being honest with you, I’ll probably get his number from one of the Michigan guys in the locker room and reach out again.
“I just know in that moment, at that time, when I was in that position, I remember a guy, Logan [Ryan]. He gave me some words of encouragement. But once again, when you’re in that it’s blurry. It’s blurry. So I don’t even know if he heard them [his words of encouragement]. Don’t care if he heard them. I understand where he was.
“But it was Logan’s follow up to me that meant the most, and I’ll do the same. Maybe it’s even passing or sharing the same book that he shared with me. So yeah, it’s just something I felt in that moment as I said, understanding where he was, but being the competitor he is, probably didn’t care what I had to say.
“Wishing him well and everything, whether it’s surgery, whenever that is and he’ll be back better.”
