Levi Onwuzurike Is Healthy Right Now, But the Lions Still Cut Him Days Before Kickoff

The Detroit Lions just dropped a bomb on their defensive line, releasing defensive tackle Levi Onwuzurike on Friday, September 11th. This wasn’t some quiet offseason move, folks. It went down just two days before they kick off their season opener against the New Orleans Saints. Talk about a shocker right before game one.

The Roster Twist Nobody Expected

Onwuzurike, a former second-round pick out of Washington in 2021, was seriously expected to be a rotational guy on that D-line this fall. So, what gives? NFL teams sometimes cut veterans before Week 1 to avoid guaranteeing their contracts for the whole season. If a vested veteran is on the Week 1 roster, their salary is guaranteed. The Lions could totally re-sign Onwuzurike to the practice squad and avoid that guarantee, according to OverTheCap.com. They could even still elevate him for Sunday’s game if they wanted. They even cut Tyre West from the practice squad to open up a spot for someone. This whole situation feels like a chess match, with Onwuzurike as the pawn.

From Injury Woes to A Clean Bill of Health, Then This

Now, we all know Onwuzurike has battled a rough injury history. He missed all of last season because of a torn ACL, and back in 2022, a back injury kept him off the field entirely. That’s a brutal run for anyone. But here’s the kicker: he was **healthy** throughout training camp this year. Fully healthy! To be healthy, expected to play a role, and then get cut right before the season, it just doesn’t add up on the surface. The Lions went heavy on the defensive line when they first set their 53-man roster, keeping 11 linemen. Alim McNeill and Tyleik Williams are set to start at defensive tackle against the Saints, with Aidan Hutchinson on one edge and DJ Wonnum or Tyler Lacy on the other. Onwuzurike even played both Lacy’s big end spot and tackle in preseason, showing that versatility. Safety Christian Izien is the only other Lions player with an injury designation for the Saints game, questionable with a groin injury.

So, the question now is, what happens next for Onwuzurike and the Lions? Will he land back on that practice squad or even the 53-man roster sometime next week? It’s a huge question mark hanging over their defensive line just hours before their season starts. Keep an eye on Detroit’s moves this weekend.

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Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.