Detroit Lions Release Levi Onwuzurike And Rookie Dl

The Detroit Lions announced on Friday that they’ve released veteran defensive tackle Levi Onwuzurike from the 53-man roster and rookie defensive lineman Tyre West from the practice squad.

It’s a bit of a surprise with Onwuzurike, who was the team’s second-round pick in 2021. The defensive lineman has struggled with injuries for most of his NFL career—a back injury for the first few years before an ACL injury zapped all of his 2025 season. In total, he’s played in just 42 games and made only 10 starts. Over that time, he’s tallied 68 tackles, 3.5 sacks, and 16 quarterback hits. That said, his 2024 season was very promising: 28 tackles, 1.5 sacks, 45 pressures, and 13 quarterback hits.

It’s unclear why the Lions made the move, but there is a rational explanation that could involve Onwuzurike coming back to the team as soon as next week—or even on Saturday on the practice squad. There is a rule in the NFL that any veteran who is on the Week 1 53-man roster will see his annual salary become fully guaranteed for the year. Given Onwuzurike’s injury history, the Lions may have wanted to avoid this, and therefore will add him back to the 53-man roster next week. There’s even a chance Onwuzurike signs to the practice squad on Saturday, gets elevated using one of the team’s two standard elevations, and plays on Sunday vs. the Saints without having his salary guaranteed.

Or, it’s entirely possible the Lions have opted to move on. We’ll have to wait and see.

As for West, he struggled to make an impact during training camp and barely got any playing time during the preseason. It’s possible the Lions bring him back to further his development after some roster shuffling.

Detroit will likely have one more set of roster moves before Sunday’s game against the New Orleans Saints. On Saturday, the team will announce any more moves and practice squad elevations by 4 p.m. ET.