%20%20--%3E%0A%3Csvg%20version%3D%221.1%22%20id%3D%22Layer_1%22%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20xmlns%3Axlink%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F1999%2Fxlink%22%20x%3D%220px%22%20y%3D%220px%22%0A%09%20width%3D%2239px%22%20height%3D%2240px%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%2039%2040%22%20enable-background%3D%22new%200%200%2039%2040%22%20xml%3Aspace%3D%22preserve%22%3E%0A%3Cpath%20fill%3D%22%23FFFFFF%22%20d%3D%22M38.5%2C7H28.2v26h10.3V7z%22%2F%3E%0A%3Cpath%20fill-rule%3D%22evenodd%22%20clip-rule%3D%22evenodd%22%20fill%3D%22%23FFFFFF%22%20d%3D%22M26.1%2C25.5c0%2C5.8-4.1%2C7.5-12.9%2C7.5C3.9%2C33%2C0%2C31.2%2C0%2C25.2v-1.1h11.6%0A%09v2.4c0%2C0.7%2C0.1%2C1.4%2C1.2%2C1.4c1%2C0%2C1.2-0.4%2C1.2-1.3v-0.9c0-1.6-0.9-1.6-3.5-2.2C2.2%2C21.7%2C0%2C19.7%2C0%2C15.3v-0.9C0%2C9.3%2C5.5%2C7%2C12.9%2C7%0A%09c10.2%2C0%2C12.8%2C2.6%2C12.8%2C7.4v1.8h-11v-2.9c0-0.6-0.4-1.1-1.2-1.1c-0.6%2C0-1.2%2C0.4-1.2%2C1.1v0.9c0%2C1.5%2C0.9%2C2%2C3.3%2C2.5%0A%09c8%2C1.6%2C10.5%2C3.3%2C10.5%2C7.5V25.5z%22%2F%3E%0A%3C%2Fsvg%3E%0A)
Lions Defender to Miss 2025 Season With Torn ACL
In this story:
The Detroit Lions' defense is already beginning 2025 on the wrong foot after dealing with a bad case of the injury bug throughout their '24 campaign.
During his pre-training camp press conference on Sunday, head coach Dan Campbell told reporters that defensive tackle Levi Onwuzurike will miss the entirety of the 2025 season due to a torn ACL.
"Alright, let me start with Levi," Campbell relayed in a somber tone. "Levi's out for the year ... Levi's surgery was, um, you know, it was significant. But it needed to be done. Out of his control and it needed to be done, so he will miss the season."
Levi Onwuzurike will miss the season with an ACL injury pic.twitter.com/tKXXSD7E63
— Detroit Lions (@Lions) July 20, 2025
Detroit placed Onwuzurike on the reserve/PUP list on Thursday afternoon, meaning he was slated to miss at least the first four games. Unfortunately, he's now done for the entire year.
Onwuzurike was drafted by the Lions in the second round of the 2021 NFL draft and has become a key piece of their defensive front. He tallied 28 total tackles, a forced fumble, and a career-high 1.5 sacks in 2024—leading him to re-sign with the franchise on a one-year deal this past offseason.
The Lions open the 2025 regular season in Green Bay against the Packers on Sunday, Sept. 7.
More NFL on Sports Illustrated
Add us as a preferred source on Google
Mike Kadlick is an NFL writer for Sports Illustrated. He’s also a New England Patriots reporter for CLNS Media, where he hosts the Patriots Daily podcast and covers the beat from Gillette Stadium. Before joining SI, Kadlick worked at WEEI sports radio in Boston. He holds a master’s degree in public relations from Boston University. When Kadlick’s not covering football, he can be found running, spending time with his wife and dog, and enjoying all things pizza.