ALLEN PARK -- Sunday at Ford Field will mark a first when the Detroit Lions host the Minnesota Vikings in their Week 9 matchup, as J.J. McCarthy and Aidan Hutchinson — teammates at Michigan in 2021 — will face each other on an NFL field.

Last season, McCarthy’s rookie year in Minnesota, provided no chance for the pair to square off. At the beginning of the Vikings’ training camp, veteran quarterback Sam Darnold assumed the starting job under center, where it was expected McCarthy could beat him out for the role at some point.

However, the Vikings shelved him for the year after he underwent surgery for a torn meniscus following a successful preseason opener.

Later that season, Hutchinson suffered a season-ending leg injury, right ahead of Detroit’s bye week and the Vikings matchup that f

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