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Detroit Lions DE Aidan Hutchinson named NFL Defensive Rookie of the Month — again

Aidan Hutchinson has bolstered his case for NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year — again.

Hutchinson was named Defensive Rookie of the Month for December/January, the second time he won the award this season.

Hutchinson, the only player to win any rookie of the month award multiple times this season, totaled 21 tackles, including five for loss, with four sacks, a fumble recovery and an interception in the Detroit Lions' final six games.

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Lions defensive end Aidan Hutchinson dances after sacking Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins during the second half of the Lions' 34-23 win Sunday, Dec. 11, 2022, at Ford Field.
Lions defensive end Aidan Hutchinson dances after sacking Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins during the second half of the Lions' 34-23 win Sunday, Dec. 11, 2022, at Ford Field.

He finished the season with a team-leading 9½ sacks — most among NFL rookies — and three interceptions, and became the first rookie in NFL history to post a nine-sack, three-interception season.

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Hutchinson also won Defensive Rookie of the Month in November.

New York Jets cornerback Sauce Gardner, a Detroit native, is considered the favorite for NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year, though Gardner did not win any Rookie of the Month awards.

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Lions coach Dan Campbell said last week he could not say how Hutchinson stacked up to other rookies in the NFL, but that Hutchinson was "everything we wanted" in a player.

"I mean, this guy’s a football player and with the No. 2 pick in the draft, we got a freaking — we got a football playing dude, man, who’s high motor and he’s versatile as hell," Campbell said. "So I don’t know what that is. If you’re asking me to cast a vote, yeah, I would cast a vote, but I don’t know all the ins and outs of everybody else, but for our value, absolutely.”

Gardner had two interceptions and an NFL-high 20 passes defensed this season for a Jets team that finished 7-10 and finished fourth in the NFL in scoring defense and fifth in total defense.

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The Lions went 9-8 to finish with their first winning record since 2017.

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy was named NFL Offensive Rookie of the Month for December/January.

Contact Dave Birkett at dbirkett@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @davebirkett.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Lions DE Aidan Hutchinson named Defensive Rookie of the Month