Lions cornerback Amani Oruwariye ready for opportunity to rebound after benching

After a benching the game before the bye week, Lions cornerback Amani Oruwariye is ready for an opportunity to turn around his early season fortunes.

Coming off a six-interception campaign in 2021, Lions cornerback Amani Oruwariye looked like a rising star on the verge of gaining league-wide recognition. But the early part of this season have been a struggle, as Pro Football Focus’ worst corner (108th out of 108 qualifiers thus far) with a missed game in Week 2 and an outright benching in Week 5.

Earlier this week, as expected, head coach Dan Campbell said Oruwariye will have an opportunity to get back on track and he’s not out of the mix in the Lions’ secondary.

It’s not a stretch to say Oruwariye needed the bye week more than any other Lions player who was not injured. And that’s assuming the back issue that cost him that Week 2 game has not been a lingering thing that just didn’t land him on the injury.

Amani Oruwariye ready for chance to change his fortunes

On Wednesday, Oruwariye spoke to reporters. He naturally said his back issue nor his contract status, in the final year of his rookie deal as he tries to prove worthy of a nice multi-year contract, have affected his play.

Via Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press, Oruwariye said he spent part of the week off in Florida, to get away from football for a bit. He says he benefited from time off.

"This isn’t the end for me at all,” Oruwariye said Wednesday. “Just a bump in the road, just adversity, just testing me, making me remind myself you can’t take any day for granted and that was good. I needed that reflection.”"

Oruwariye added that he tentatively expects to start Sunday against the Dallas Cowboys, and is doing what he can to make it happen. It can’t be much worse for him than it was before the bye, and a break came at a good time for a reset and a push back toward last season’s form.