Robbed of another season, Lions' Onwuzurike clears key hurdle, ready to pick up where he left off
Allen Park — Last summer, it was easy to believe we might have seen the last of Levi Onwuzurike in a Detroit Lions uniform.
Set to play on a one-year contract extension following the expiration of his rookie deal, some offseason knee pain proved to be an ACL injury requiring surgical repair. The follow-up to the defensive lineman’s breakout season was over before it began.
Beyond the expiring contract, a bigger sign he might be done in Detroit was the team gave Onwuzurike’s No. 91 to first-round draft pick Tyleik Williams.
It felt like the tea leaves didn’t require reading, they were a blinking neon sign holding a megaphone.
However, the Lions knew something we didn’t, something not even Onwuzurike knew before it was first reported by the Detroit Football Network in early February. Because he was injured ahead of the final year of his contract, and ruled out the entirety of that season, the deal’s terms would carry over to the next season.
So, it’s not over. Onwuzurike is now set for a second comeback during his Lions tenure after a triumphant return from a spinal fusion surgery that nearly ended his career in 2022. And, based on how the team addressed the defensive tackle position this offseason, it would seem that they’re counting on him to be a key cog in the interior rotation.