Did you hear what the Lions pulled on Friday? They dropped Levi Onwuzurike, their veteran defensive tackle, right off the 53-man roster. And rookie Tyre West got cut from the practice squad too. For Onwuzurike, this is seriously a surprise, especially since he was a second-round pick in 2021! It’s got everyone wondering what the heck is going on in Detroit as Week 1 approaches.
Onwuzurike’s Rough Ride and a Glimmer of Hope
This guy’s career has been an absolute battle with injuries. We’re talking a back injury for his first few years, then an ACL injury completely wiped out his entire 2025 season. All said and done, he’s only seen the field for 42 games, with just 10 starts. His career totals? 68 tackles, 3.5 sacks, and 16 quarterback hits. Not exactly mind-blowing, right? But here’s the kicker: his 2024 season was actually looking pretty promising! He put up 28 tackles, 1.5 sacks, 45 pressures, and 13 quarterback hits. So after that kind of flash, why let him go now?
The Salary Play: What’s Really Going Down?
The big question swirling around this mess is *why* the Lions made this move. It’s unclear, but there’s a major theory, and it’s all about the money, baby! NFL rules say any veteran on the 53-man roster for Week 1 gets their annual salary fully guaranteed. Given Onwuzurike’s extensive injury history, the Lions probably wanted to avoid that commitment. So, what’s their play? They could add him back to the 53-man roster next week. Or, and this is where it gets spicy, he could sign to the practice squad on Saturday, then get elevated using one of their two standard elevations, and actually play on Sunday against the Saints without that salary guarantee! Talk about some loophole magic. Or, yeah, they might have just decided to move on. We just have to wait and see.
West’s Struggle and What’s Next for Detroit
As for rookie Tyre West, his situation is more straightforward. He just struggled to make any real impact during training camp and barely got any playing time in the preseason. It’s possible the Lions bring him back down the line for development after all their roster shuffling. Speaking of which, Detroit is almost certainly going to have one more set of roster moves before Sunday’s game against the New Orleans Saints. They’ve got a deadline of 4 p.m. ET on Saturday to announce any more moves and practice squad elevations. What a wild ride!
So, as the clock ticks down to Saturday’s 4 p.m. ET announcement, the Lions have serious decisions before their big Sunday game. Will we see Onwuzurike back on the field in a Detroit uniform, or is this the actual end? This whole thing is wild, and it’s definitely setting the stage for an intense Week 1.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Pride of Detroit.
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