Lions Release 2nd-Round Pick Who Survived Every Roster Cut Since 2021, Just Two Days Before Season Opener
This article was originally published on Total Pro Sports.
Detroit finalized its 53-man roster just last weekend. Sunday’s opener against New Orleans seemed like the last major hurdle before the Lions could settle into the regular season.
That stability didn’t last long. Two separate roster moves this week signaled the coaching staff still wasn’t fully satisfied with their depth chart heading into Week 1.
Friday brought the most notable change yet, as Detroit released a player who’d survived every roster cycle since his rookie season.
Injuries Defined Much Of His Time In Detroit
The Lions announced the release of defensive tackle Levi Onwuzurike, their second-round pick out of Washington back in 2021. He’d remained on Detroit’s roster continuously since then, despite a career repeatedly interrupted by injury.
A back issue required spinal fusion surgery and cost him most of the 2022 season. He returned the following year in a limited role before finally breaking out in 2024, recording 28 tackles and 1.5 sacks across 16 games.
That progress stalled again last summer, when a torn ACL wiped out his entire 2025 season before training camp even began.
Onwuzurike re-signed with Detroit in March 2025 on a one-year, $5.5 million deal. His contract tolled into this season after the ACL tear, giving him one more chance to prove himself in training camp this summer.
A Crowded Defensive Line Made The Decision Easier
That chance didn’t pan out the way Onwuzurike hoped. He spent much of camp working with Detroit’s third-team defense, eventually losing his role to younger lineman Tyler Lacy. Head coach Dan Campbell acknowledged an injury setback had limited his practice reps, though it wasn’t enough to save his roster spot.
Detroit also released rookie Tyre West from the practice squad in the same round of moves. West, a seventh-round pick out of Tennessee, struggled to make an impact during a limited preseason workload.
Since Onwuzurike qualifies as a vested veteran, some analysts believe Detroit could still bring him back to the practice squad this weekend. Teams sometimes use that timing strategy specifically to reduce financial exposure, since salary guarantees tied to Week 1 rosters disappear once a player clears final cuts.
Whether Friday’s move marks a permanent departure or a temporary bookkeeping decision remains to be seen.
Onwuzurike finishes his run in Detroit with 68 tackles, 3.5 sacks, and a forced fumble across 42 regular-season appearances, a solid if injury-interrupted five years for a player once viewed as a key piece of the Lions’ defensive rebuild.
