Defensive tackle Levi Onwuzurike had a career-high season last year for the Detroit Lions. The former second-round pick set new marks in quarterback hits (13), solo tackles (16), and sacks (1.5). It looked like things were finally coming together for him heading into Year 5. However, an unfortunate injury has ruled Levi out for the entire 2025 season before it even begins.
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It’s a tough break for the lineman. Many thought it was finally going to be his time to shine. Especially with Aidan Hutchinson returning from injury, hopes in general were high for the defensive line.
Unfortunately, head coach Dan Campbell delivered the bad news this past Sunday that the 27-year-old DT suffered a torn ACL.
“Levi’s surgery was significant, but it needed to be done. Out of his control, but needed to be done, so he will miss the season,” Campbell told ESPN.
The head coach then revealed the nature of the injury and noted that losing Levi for the entire year is going to sting. “You don’t like to lose anybody. Certainly, losing Levi, that hurts,” he added.
Perhaps the most unfortunate part is that the tackle has missed an entire season before due to a back injury. Now, he’s set to miss his second full season in just four years. It’s seemingly back to square one with Levi as he tries to regain momentum heading into 2026.
When Lions fans on Reddit heard the news, they naturally couldn’t believe their luck. “Here we go again,” one wrote.
“Damn, injury bug already on the defensive line? Good lord,” another chimed in. “Only 10 more injuries to go!” someone else joked.
One fan, in particular, voiced his frustration with the Lions for signing injury-prone players.
“We sign injury-prone players for a slight discount and act shocked when they’re … prone to injury,” they expressed.
It’s a hard argument to dispute. Just take a look at the rest of the Lions’ defensive injury issues. Alim McNeill was placed on the PUP list and will miss the first four games of the year. Same with Josh Paschal, Mekhi Wingo, Malcolm Rodriguez, and Khalil Dorsey. Did we mention it’s still only July?
However, Detroit doesn’t really have many other options when it comes to building a roster. They’re not the biggest or most attractive market. If they want to construct a defense, they need to draft and develop high-injury-risk players who are overlooked and available for cheap. And that’s exactly what they’ve been doing ever since Campbell entered the building. This is just a side effect of the process.
It’s a big side effect, but the reward is so much greater. They’ve been able to hit on overlooked defensive guys like Kerby Joseph, Brian Branch, and Jack Campbell.
In the end, though, this is a blow for the franchise. It’s not season-altering, but it certainly messes up the plans that Campbell must have had before. They drafted defensive tackle Tyleik Williams with the 28th overall pick out of Ohio State, and he could be a candidate to replace Levi. But surely, Detroit thought they were going to get more time to develop the rookie.
Now, Williams is possibly going to be thrust into action in Week 1. It’s not ideal, but let’s see if it works out. If it doesn’t, longtime veteran DJ Reader will be ready as a serviceable replacement.
