It’s looking less and less likely that the Detroit Lions will have defensive lineman Levi Onwuzurike available to start the 2022 regular season. The second-year DT is battling through a lingering back and hip injury that flared up again recently, and head coach Dan Campbell did not sound optimistic about a quick heal for Onwuzurike.
“He’s trending the right way, but it’s at a snail’s pace, is the best way to say it,” Campbell said before Thursday’s practice when asked about Onwuzurike.
It was yet another practice session Onwuzurike has missed. He has not participated since the first padded practice of training camp nearly a month ago. The injury dates back to his college days at Washington, from whence the Lions selected Onwuzurike in the second round of the 2021 NFL draft.
He struggled through the injury in his rookie season, also shaking off the rust of sitting out the 2020 college season due to the global pandemic. Onwuzurike had just one sack and 35 total tackles in 16 games and did not look nearly as explosive or agile as he had in his earlier career with the Huskies program.
Campbell had recently indicated Onwuzurike would be ready before the start of the season, but that optimistic tone was nowhere to be found when the head coach addressed it on Thursday.
“He’s doing everything we’re asking him to do; it is getting better,” Campbell said of the back malady. “I would say that, if you’re asking me right now, you’re twisting my arm, I’m saying he’s not available for Philly (Week 1). That’s me. But we’ll see.”
With Onwuzurike sidelined for such an extended period, it has opened the door for John Cominsky, Isaiah Buggs and others to get significant reps at the rush tackle spot where he projects to play. The lost practice and playing time are more critical because the Lions are changing defensive schemes and incorporating a lot of coordinated attack movements with the linemen.
Because he did practice with the team earlier in training camp, Onwuzurike is ineligible for the PUP list. They can keep him on the active roster through the cutdown to 53 players and then place him on injured reserve, allowing Onwuzurike to return sometime during the season but not until at least Week 5. If they place him on IR prior to those cutdowns, Onwuzurike will not be eligible to play for the team in 2022.
No decision has been made on that front, but the clock is ticking on the chances for Onwuzurike to be a productive member of the Lions this season.
