Detroit Lions training camp opened with terrible news for the reigning NFC North champions as defensive lineman Levi Onwuzurike was ruled out for the 2025 season following ACL surgery.

The procedure took place earlier in the offseason, and while Onwuzurike was already added to the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list entering training camp, Sunday’s announcement proved to be the final word on his season.

‘Levi’s surgery was significant, but it needed to be done,’ Lions head coach Dan Campbell said Sunday, as quoted by ESPN. ‘Out of his control, but needed to be done, so he will miss the season.’

The injury complicates an already difficult situation along the Lions’ defensive line, where Pro Bowler Aidan Hutchinson is returning from a fractured tibia and fibula. The second-overall pick of the 2022 NFL Draft has been cleared to return to football activities.

Unfortunately for Detroit, defensive tackles Alim McNeill and Mekhi Wingo were also placed on the active/PUP list, which means rookie first-round pick Tyleik Williams could be forced into early starting duty for newly promoted Lions defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard.

Standing 6-foot-3 and 334 pounds, Williams started 13 games for Ohio State en route to a NCAA тιтle in 2024-25. The Buckeyes star finished his final college season with 46 tackles, including eight for a loss.

The Detroit Lions placed Levi Onwuzurike on the PUP list before ruling him out for 2025

Dan Campbell is trying to improve a defense that struggled against the pᴀss in 2024 

And the Lions’ injury issues extend beyond the defensive line.

Linebacker Malcolm Rodriguez is starting training camp on PUP after tearing his ACL during the 2024 season, while cornerback Khalil Dorsey was also added to the list for an undisclosed injury.

On the offensive side the ball, where the Lions already lost free-agent guard Kevin Zeitler to the Tennessee тιтans, Detroit added left tackle Taylor Decker and guard Miles Frazier to the PUP list. Fortunately, Campbell expects Decker to return before Detroit faces the Los Angeles Chargers at the Hall of Fame preseason game in Canton, Ohio on July 31.

‘He’s good. He just cleaned out the shoulder a little bit, and we’re going to work him back when he’s ready to go get the strength back,’ Campbell said. ‘But he’s in a good place.’

The Lions were considered to be a Super Bowl contender in 2024 before the upstart Washington Commanders upset Detroit in the Divisional Round of the NFC Playoffs.

Detroit’s offense ranked first in scoring and second in yardage, but while the defense limited opponents to fewer points than all but six NFL teams, the unit ranked only 20th in yards allowed.

The Lions predominantly struggled against the pᴀss, allowing more yards through the air than all but two other NFL teams while struggling to compensate for the loss of Hutchinson.

To help the secondary, Detroit added former New York Jets cornerback D.J. Reed.