As they now move toward their sixth season together, Brad Holmes and head coach Dan Campbell have been a resounding success taking the Detroit Lions from perennial cellar dwellers to annual contenders.
But six, or even five, seasons is a lifetime in the NFL, as the classic Jerry Glanville line about what those letters mean rings true year after year. While the Lions have prioritized keeping who they see as core players around, with a strong draft record adding a challenging layer to that, the roster looks a fair amount different now than it did two years ago.
While we know the key players who have been around since the start of the Lions' rebuild, one who is part of that group has probably fallen below the radar in an "out of sight, out of mind" sort of way.
Proposed move is overdue for the Lions to just go ahead and get done
Moe Moton of Bleacher Report has named the best player who could still be cut by each NFL team this offseason. It's hard to find anyone who really stands out in that regard on the Lions' roster, so Moton went with defensive tackle Levi Onwuzurike.
"In five years, Levi Onwuzurike has missed two full seasons because of significant back and knee injuries. Last offseason, he re-signed with the Detroit Lions on a one-year deal but sat out the 2025 campaign because of a torn ACL."
"This offseason, the Lions signed sixth-year veteran Jay Tufele, who could be the third defensive tackle in a rotation with Tyleik Williams and Alim McNeil. While on the mend, Onwuzurike is likely on the roster bubble."
The back surgery Onwuzurike had in 2022, which led to him missing that entire season, really could have ended his career. That he played the 2023 and 2024 campaigns, and had a pretty good season in 2024, is something.
It's also fair to say the only reason Onwuzurike is still on the Lions' roster right now is because the one-year deal he signed in March of 2025 tolled to this year. But that was the same for Josh Paschal, who also spent all of last season on the PUP list, and he was released at the start of the league year in March.
While Paschal certainly had a myriad of injury issues, he didn't miss two full seasons like Onwuzurike did.
So what's the difference? Maybe the contrast in severity of the injuries that costed Paschal and Onwuzurike last season is more than enough. But Onwuzurike was also Holmes' second draft pick as Lions' general manager back in 2021, so perhaps there is still some extra sentimental leeway for him.
The time for any kind of sentiment like that is long gone, though. Paschal has no better chance, based on history, than Onwuzurike to get and stay healthy.
The only difference between Paschal and Onwuzurike, and careers that are on the ropes, is the latter is still on a roster. The Lions are pulling the wool over their own eyes there, but they don't have to do so any longer than they want to.
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