Aidan Hutchinson Has Emotional Farewell After Golfing With Alex Anzalone

The former Detroit Lions teammates shared a touching moment as Anzalone's son expressed sadness over Hutchinson's departure.

Apr. 9, 2026 at 3:51pm

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A fractured, cubist-style painting depicting abstracted football players and a field, with sharp geometric shapes in a vibrant color palette of blues, greens, and reds, conveying the raw emotion and energy of an athletic competition.A touching farewell between a departing Lions star and a young fan reflects the personal bonds that form within an NFL team.Today in Tampa

Detroit Lions defensive end Aidan Hutchinson and linebacker Derrick Barnes recently spent time golfing with former teammate Alex Anzalone in Tampa, Florida. During the outing, Anzalone's young son Cooper expressed that he would miss Hutchinson after the Lions decided not to re-sign the veteran linebacker in free agency, leading to an emotional farewell between the two players.

Why it matters

The moment between Hutchinson and Anzalone's son highlights the personal connections and relationships that are formed between players on an NFL team, even when roster changes occur. It also shows the impact that star players can have on young fans, and the sadness that can come when those players depart.

The details

Anzalone shared that during the golf outing, his son Cooper ran up to Hutchinson and said 'Go Bucs,' indicating that he had already shifted his allegiance to Anzalone's new team, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. However, as they were leaving, Cooper unexpectedly told Hutchinson that he would miss him, nearly bringing Anzalone to tears. Anzalone explained that Lions head coach Dan Campbell had wanted him to return, but the team's front office made the financial decision not to re-sign him.

  • The golf outing took place recently in Tampa, Florida.

The players

Aidan Hutchinson

A defensive end for the Detroit Lions who was the No. 2 overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft.

Alex Anzalone

A veteran linebacker who spent the last five seasons with the Detroit Lions before signing with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in free agency.

Derrick Barnes

A linebacker for the Detroit Lions who joined Hutchinson and Anzalone for the golf outing.

Cooper Anzalone

The young son of Alex Anzalone who expressed sadness over Hutchinson's departure from the Lions.

Dan Campbell

The head coach of the Detroit Lions who wanted Anzalone to return to the team.

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What they’re saying

“It was me, Derrick Barnes and Aidan Hutchinson golfing out here in Tampa the other day. I was like, 'I'll take my son Cooper with me.' We're shooting some content for Aidan. At the end of it, we're leaving, and I didn't even know this happened, you know, I didn't tell Cooper this at all. He went up to Aidan and was like, 'Mr. Aidan, I'm going to miss you so much,' and gave him a hug. He texted me saying he damn near cried.”

— Alex Anzalone, Linebacker

“When we first got to the golf course, Cooper ran up to Aidan and was like, 'Go Bucs.' He's moved on. 'Daddy, the Lions didn't want you anymore, we're with the Bucs now, we're good.'”

— Alex Anzalone, Linebacker

“Honestly, it was a situation that was kind of different from some others. I was a free agent a couple of times in my career, and you know, it was a little different. You know, I can make the decision, not just off of the finances. I'm blessed enough to be able to make the right decision for my family. It was just a team decision that we made, and we feel really good about it.”

— Alex Anzalone, Linebacker

The takeaway

The emotional farewell between Aidan Hutchinson and Alex Anzalone's son Cooper highlights the personal connections that are formed between players on an NFL team, even when roster changes occur. It also shows the impact that star players can have on young fans, and the sadness that can come when those players depart.