July 20: During the Lions’ first day of training camp Sunday, head coach Dan Campbell addressed the media. He told reporters, including Justin Rogers of Detroit Football Network, that Onwuzurike tore his ACL and is out for the year.
This is obviously difficult news for the player, who will have no momentum when he becomes eligible for free agency again in 2026, and the team, which is not expecting McNeil to return until late October or early November. The club’s defensive tackle depth will be tested immediately, and Williams will face increased pressure in his rookie season.
July 17: Levi Onwuzurike will be sidelined for at least the first month of the 2025 season. The veteran defensive tackle was placed on the reserve/PUP list Thursday, per a team announcement. 
At the onset of training camp, several players around the league are placed on the active/physically unable to perform list. That move is generally made in the case of short-term ailments, and players can be (and almost always are) activated at some point during the summer. This case is different, however.
Onwuzurike’s placement on the reserve/PUP list guarantees he will miss at least the Lions’ first four games. His absence will be felt along the defensive interior regardless of how long it lasts. Onwuzurike has not been linked to a specific injury this offseason, but he has dealt with lingering back injuries dating back to his college career.
That issue resulted in the entire 2022 campaign being missed. Onwuzurike managed to play 10 games the following year, though, and in 2024 he logged by far the heaviest workload of his career. The 27-year-old played 635 snaps while starting 10 games; to no surprise, an uptick in production followed. Onwuzurike notched 28 tackles while adding 22 quarterback pressures and 1.5 sacks.
The former second-rounder was on track for free agency until a new Lions pact was worked out just before the start of the new league year. Onwuzurike took a one-year, $4MM deal to remain in the Motor City. It will be interesting to see what his prognosis is once further details emerge.
In the meantime, the Lions will move forward with a defensive line group led by Alim McNeill, D.J. Reader and first-round rookie Tyleik Williams. Onwuzurike will look to regain his role from last season whenever he returns to full health and is activated.
You have to feel bad for the young man. Injuries suck. Best wishes for a speedy recovery.
On the football field, the Lions are going to have real problems on both the interior OL and DL. I expect them to really struggle out of the gate. 4-4 in the first half of the season could easily happen.
Yeah, a real problem… replacing your whole interior line on a terrible OLine add in a first year head coach, complicated new offensive system, and young qb. That sounds like more of a problem to me or more of a concern than losing your 4th DT on a 15-1 team that drafted one in first round.
This is just a stupid comment. With Alim out til October and Levi out for the year they have serious depth issues upfront. They also lack some depth on the interior oline. It’s not crazy to think they could start slow
Nice try, Lions fan. I’m a Packers fan. Not a Bears fan. I’m looking forward to Jacobs running it right up the gut on your DL and KC and and Wyatt running straight to Goff through your paper thin interior OL in week 1.
Haha, maybe lol but there was last year. Remember? We beat you last year with street clothes D linemen. No Alim, no Hutch, no DJ, no Levi.
I don’t take your backhanded concern for Levi to bash the Lions because we beat you with 15 people on the IR
I don’t like injuries and wish the man well. But as far as the game? Yeah. You beat us with a QB who couldn’t move in game one and in a coin flip in game 2. By 2 points. Congrats?
DET and MIN are going to regress hard this year. It’s going to be fun to watch.
The Lions will consider asking Snacks Harrison to come in for a workout right?
I’m expecting a Za’Darius Smith signing in the next couple days. He’s been waiting for the opportunity to come back to Detroit. He’s still around the city going to Tigers games. We all want him back.
Yes we do and I agree in the hopes of seeing thus signing soon
That guy is a cancer. The first time things don’t go his way he pouts. Both Packers and Vikings fans know this. Detroit is going to find out soon. Just like they’re going to find out that the team peaking NFL window is 3 years unless you have an elite QB. They don’t…
Lions need DL like the Tigers need Reliever’s & in both cases, the entire league is looking for them too!