Player News
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Onwuzurike will miss the 2025 NFL campaign after undergoing surgery for a torn ACL, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports. This is a tough blow for Onwuzurike and the Lions, who were decimated by injuries on defense last year. Onwuzurike was a key part of Detroit's defensive line during the 2024 campaign, playing in 16 regular-season games and recording 16 tackles, including 1.5 sacks, and a forced fumble while logging over 60 percent of the team's defensive snaps 11 times. Presumed starter at defensive tackle Alim McNeill is recovering from a torn ACL himself, and it's unclear if he'll be ready for Week 1 of the upcoming campaign.
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Onwuzurike (undisclosed) was placed on the reserve/PUP list by the Lions on Thursday. The designation means that the defensive tackle will miss the first four regular-season games, assuming he's still on the reserve/PUP list after cut-down day on Aug. 26. Onwuzurike earned a rotation spot last season, playing a career-high 594 defensive snaps and making 28 tackles (16 solo). The 2021 second-round pick signed a one-year, $5.5 million contract to remain with the Lions in March, and he should be in line to play a role again if he's able to return by Week 5.
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Onwuzurike is re-signing the Lions on Wednesday via a one-year, $5.5 million contract, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports. Onwuzurike impressed in 2024, with 28 tackles (16 solo), including 1.5 sacks, and one forced fumble across 16 regular-season appearances. Reuniting with the team on a one-year deal now primes Onwuzurike for another chance to prove his ability to thrive as part of an interior defensive lineman rotation, before he hits free agency again in 2026.
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Onwuzurike finished the 2024 regular season with 28 tackles (16 solo), including 1.5 sacks, and one forced fumble across 16 games. Onwuzurike didn't have eye-popping numbers in 2024, but the fourth-year player out of Washington gave opposing offensive lines plenty of trouble with his relentless pass rush. His fifth-year option was declined by Detroit, which means he enters the 2025 offseason as an unrestricted free agent. Onwuzurike should garner plenty of interest from teams looking to solidify the interior of its defensive line such as the Patriots, who hired former Lions' defensive line coach Terrell Williams on Jan. 22 to serve as New England's defensive coordinator under head coach Mike Vrabel.
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Onwuzurike (hamstring) has no injury designation ahead of Sunday's matchup against the Bills. Onwuzurike didn't play in the Lions' Week 14 win over the Packers after sustaining a hamstring injury the week prior. However, he upgraded from limited work Wednesday and Thursday to a full practice session Friday, indicating that he's now recovered from the issue. Expect Onwuzurike to play as one of the Lions' top rotational interior defensive linemen in Week 15.
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Completed Games
| WK | OPP | TK | SACK | INT | FF | DFR | DFTD | PDEF | FPTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| *1 | @GB | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| *2 | CHI | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| *3 | @BAL | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| *4 | CLE | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| *5 | @CIN | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| *6 | @KC | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| *7 | TB | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 8 | BYE | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| *9 | MIN | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| *10 | @WAS | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| *11 | @PHI | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| *12 | NYG | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| *13 | GB | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| *14 | DAL | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| *15 | @LAR | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| * indicates player did not play that week | |||||||||
Scheduled Games
| WK | DATE | OPP | OPP RANK |
|---|---|---|---|
| 16 | 12/21 | Pittsburgh | 14 |
| 17 | 12/25 | @Minnesota | 16 |
| 18 | 01/04 | @Chicago | 24 |