Detroit Lions defensive end Levi Onwuzurike (91) rushes the quarterback as Green Bay Packers offensive tackle Rasheed Walker (63) blocks on Sunday, Nov. 3, 2024, at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wis. Tork Mason / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Lions lose key player to torn ACL for entire 2025 season

By Steve DelVecchio | Last updated Jul 21, 2025 8:43 AM ET

The Detroit Lions have lost a key defensive player for the entire 2025 season.

Veteran defensive lineman Levi Onwuzurike was placed on the reserve/physically unable to perform list on Thursday with an undisclosed injury. On Sunday, Lions head coach Dan Campbell announced that Onwuzurike recently underwent surgery to repair a torn ACL.

"Levi's out for the year. Levi's surgery was significant, but it needed to be done. Out of his control and it needed to be done, so he will miss the season," Campbell said.

Levi Onwuzurike will miss the season with an ACL injury pic.twitter.com/tKXXSD7E63
— Detroit Lions (@Lions) July 20, 2025

Onwuzurike was drafted by the Lions in the second round in 2021. The former Washington star re-signed with the team on a one-year, $5.5M contract back in March. Onwuzurike appeared in 16 games last season (10 starts) and finished the year with 28 total tackles, 1.5 sacks and 13 quarterback hits.

The ACL injury is not the first significant injury of Onwuzurike's career. He missed all of 2022 after undergoing back surgery and was limited to 10 games in 2023.

Onwuzurike was hoping to build off of his bounce-back season, so the torn ACL is a terrible break for the 27-year-old.

Steve DelVecchio

Steve is a veteran writer who has covered a variety of sports and pop culture topics for more than 15 years. In addition to Yardbarker, his work has been featured on prominent digital publications including Larry Brown Sports, MSN and FOX Sports. The UConn graduate has published more than 40,000 stories and is one of the most experienced trending news writers in the country

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