In the comics, Rick lost a hand in his first encounter with the Governor, but the villain came and went on the show without Rick losing an appendage.
Angela Kang revealed Rick losing a hand had been discussed in the past, but The Walking Dead had “various reasons” why they didn’t pull the trigger.
So why did Aaron lose a hand and not Rick?
There’s still a chance the moment could happen before Andrew Lincoln’s exit from the series, although it feels more likely Aaron’s accident may be the only severed hand fans see before Rick’s final exit on the show.