Lions Place Defensive Tackle Onwuzurike On Reserve/PUP List

The Detroit Lions have placed defensive tackle Levi Onwuzurike on the reserve/physically unable to perform (PUP) list, sidelining him for at least the first four games of the 2025 season due to an undisclosed injury. Onwuzurike, 27, bounced back in 2024 after missing the 2022 season with a major back injury, playing a career-high number of snaps and recording 28 tackles and 1.5 sacks. He re-signed with the Lions on a one-year deal before the 2025 season and was expected to play a key role on the defensive line. Alongside Onwuzurike, several other Lions players, including Taylor Decker, Alim McNeill, and Mekhi Wingo, were placed on the physically unable to perform list, with McNeill and Wingo dealing with season-ending knee injuries from 2024. The Lions will rely on a defensive front led by McNeill, D.J. Reader, and rookie Tyleik Williams until Onwuzurike returns. The specific details of Onwuzurike's injury remain undisclosed, and the Lions have not provided further updates on his prognosis.