Latest news with #LeviOnwuzurike
Yahoo
13 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Rapoport: Lions' Levi Onwuzurike will miss 2025 season due to ACL injury 'GMFB'
NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reporting Detroit Lions defensive tackle Levi Onwuzurike will miss 2025 season due to ACL injury.
Yahoo
19 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Detroit Lions' Defensive Starter Undergoes Season-Ending Surgery
Injuries were a major factor in the Detroit Lions' season last year. While it's hard to take issue with how the regular season resulted in a 15-2 record and the first seed in the NFC Playoff hunt, it became clear that the Lions were too decimated on defense to stop a fast-paced Washington Commanders team led by superstar Offensive Rookie of the Year winner Jayden Daniels. With stars like Aidan Hutchinson sidelined for the playoffs, fans can't help but wonder how much further the Lions could have gotten. Unfortunately, the 2025-26 season is set to kick off with a similar tune as last season in Detroit. According to Lions head coach Dan Campbell, starting defensive tackle Levi Onwuzurike had to have a 'significant' season-ending surgery involving an ACL tear. While he will be missed, Campbell admitted, 'It needed to be done.' Onwuzurike suited up for 16 games last season, where he made 10 starts. He was a key part of a Lions defense that allowed the seventh-fewest points per game last year. While Onwuzurike may be a big loss, the Lions did select defensive tackle Tyleik Williams in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft, and now he should see an even bigger role as a rookie than many anticipated. Related: Related Headlines Why Baltimore Orioles' Adley Rutschman May Face an Uncertain Future with Team Report: 2 'Strong Candidates' Revealed to Become Atlanta Braves Manager in 2026 Report: Texas Rangers Could Trade Coveted All-Star Player By Next Week New York Yankees, Chicago Cubs, Detroit Tigers Interested in Trade for Gold Glover
Fox News
2 days ago
- Sport
- Fox News
Levi Onwuzurike Undergoes Season-Ending Surgery in Latest Blow to Lions' D-Line
Detroit Lions defensive lineman Levi Onwuzurike is out for the season after having knee surgery, a setback for a franchise that was counting on him to fill in for Alim McNeill. Lions coach Dan Campbell made the announcement on Sunday morning, just before his team had the NFL's first training camp practice of the year. The 27-year-old Onwuzurike started in a career-high 11 games last season, including Detroit's loss to Washington in the divisional round. His playing time increased when McNeill had a season-ending knee injury in December. McNeill, who signed a $97 million, four-year contract extension last October, is out indefinitely. Onwuzurike's injury gives rookie defensive tackle Tyleik Williams a chance to play a significant role when the two-time defending NFC North champions kick off the season Sept. 7 against the Green Bay Packers. Detroit drafted the former Ohio State standout with the 28th overall pick in the draft. The 6-foot-3, 334-pounder started 13 games for the national champion Buckeyes and had 46 tackles, including eight for losses and 2.5 sacks. The Lions will also lean on 31-year-old defensive tackle DJ Reader and newly acquired veteran Roy Lopez, who started 16 games last season for Arizona and has 50 career starts with the Cardinals and Houston Texans. Reporting by The Associated Press. Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, and follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily!
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Lions lose defensive tackle Levi Onwuzurike for season with torn ACL
After a brutal 2024 season of injuries on defense, the Lions' 2025 is off to a disappointing start. Lions defensive tackle Levi Onwuzurike suffered a torn ACL and will miss the entire season, head coach Dan Campbell announced today. Onwuzurike opened camp on the reserve/physically unable to perform list but it was only today that Campbell explained why. "Levi is out for the year. Levi's surgery, it was significant, but it needed to be done. Out of his control but it needed to be done, so he will miss the season," Campbell said. "It was a knee, ACL, so he got that taken care of." Onwuzurike has spent his entire career with the Lions, who drafted him in the second round in 2021. Last year he was one of the few Lions defenders who stayed healthy, missing only one game and playing in 61 percent of the Lions' defensive snaps.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Biggest takeaways from Lions' first training camp practice: Who played guard, center?
Detroit Lions training camp is officially underway, as the team took to the practice field for the first session on Sunday. Before hitting the field, head coach Dan Campbell gave some injury updates, with the most notable being that Levi Onwuzurike has been ruled out for the 2025 season because of an ACL injury, according to Tim Twentyman of "Levi's surgery was significant, and it needed to be done," Campbell said. "Out of his control and needed to be done. So he will miss the season." Also of note, Campbell revealed that left tackle Taylor Decker had a clean-up procedure on his shoulder but could be back after the Hall of Fame Game. Those weren't the only injury notes from Sunday. Here's a look at another and some other takeaways from Detroit's first practice of training camp. Who didn't practice? Aside from the guys on injury lists, edge rusher Al-Quadin Muhammad, linebacker Alex Anzalone and linebacker Anthony Pittman didn't practice, per Pride of Detroit's Jeremy Reisman. More on Anzalone shortly. Ennis Rakestraw injured According to Nolan Bianchi of The Detroit News, cornerback Ennis Rakestraw Jr. left the session early and is being evaluated for a chest injury. "Rakestraw collided with a receiver during a pass play in 11-on-11 and was escorted to the locker room after being checked on the sideline," he revealed. There is no further update on the severity as of this writing. Lions show their "Plan A" on offensive line? Also per Bianchi, the Lions had rookie Tate Ratledge take all of the first-team reps at center on Sunday, with Graham Glasgow and Christian Mahogany playing at right and left guard, respectively. "A lot can change between now and Week 1, but Ratledge's placement on the first day of camp suggests that putting him at center is their Plan A," Bianchi wrote. That trio was expected to take the guard and center spots in some combination. Now we have an early idea about where they're going to end up. Alex Anzalone arrives but doesn't practice Campbell told reporters that Anzalone has arrived at training camp and passed his conditioning test with flying colors. The fact that Anzalone has shown up indicates he isn't going to hold out amid his perceived dissatisfaction with his contract as he enters the final year of his deal. However, a hold-in remains possible after Anzalone did not practice for the Lions' first day of camp, although Campbell doesn't see that happening. 'No way, right?' Campbell said of a possible hold-in, per Pride of Detroit's Jeremy Reisman. 'I refuse to believe that. I refuse to believe that.' When asked if there was anything in the works involving a new contract for the Lions linebacker, Campbell said "no, not that I can really talk about." Who took the reps at left tackle? According to Jeff Risdon of Lions Wire, Dan Skipper was the fill-in for Decker. Taking the second- and third-team reps at left tackle were Jamarco Jones and Giovanni Manu, respectively. Risdon added that Manu appears to have more muscle than he did during his rookie year while also noting that "Manu's calves and thighs were definitely more toned and sculpted than a year ago." The backup quarterbacks Risdon didn't see much of a change with Hendon Hooker. "Just as was the case last season, he mixes in some outstanding throws with some ponderous misses," Risdon said of Hooker before noting that he "didn't see or hear any of last year's issues with Hooker being too hesitant to throw the ball." Risdon also noted that Hooker's competition for the backup spot behind Jared Goff, Kyle Allen, was solid but "showed the weakest arm" of the quarterbacks. "Kyle Allen is the new No. 3 and from one practice, it's easy to see why the Lions had interest," Risdon said. Lions rotate in the slot The Lions saw all of their projected starters at cornerback, Terrion Arnold, Amik Robertson and D.J. Reed, get reps in the slot, Risdon said. Robertson is expected to return to his role as the team's primary slot corner in 2025 after excelling in the role in his first season in Detroit. Who filled in for Levi? With Levi Onwuzurike out and Alim McNeill uncertain for Week 1, there's a spot open on the starting defensive line next to DJ Reader. For now, per Reisman, rookie Tyleik Williams "was starting in Levi's place today." Risdon says Pat O'Connor got extra looks, and Chris Smith and Myles Adams also got involved. MORE DETROIT LIONS NEWS Lions' David Montgomery admits to having reason to run even angrier Dan Campbell admits his biggest concern for Lions going into camp Lions DT Levi Onwuzurike out for 2025 season
