Lions’ Onwuzurike out for season after back surgery
Second-year Detroit Lions defensive tackle Levi Onwuzurike will miss the 2022 season after undergoing back surgery during last week’s bye.
Lions coach Dan Campbell said Onwuzurike’s decision to have surgery was “a last resort” due to disc problems that have persisted throughout his career.
A second-round pick out of Washington in 2021, Onwuzurike missed most of training camp his rookie year with a back injury that dated to his college days and has not played this season.
He made 35 tackles in 16 games as a rookie, but has been out since aggravating his injury Aug. 1, in the Lions’ first padded practice of the summer.
Asked Monday how concerned he is that back problems could linger for the rest of Onwuzurike’s career, Campbell said, “Hopefully this certainly helps.” The Lions were aware of Onwuzurike’s condition coming out of college.
“I mean it’s a last resort,” he said. “Felt like that was — he felt like that’s where he needed to go with it and saw a number of doctors and so we’ll see where it goes.”
The Lions (1-4) were counting on Onwuzurike to be a key rotational piece on their defensive line this fall and have lacked interior pass rush in his absence.
The Lions rank 30th in the NFL in sack percentage and have not had a sack since the fourth quarter of their Week 3 loss to the Minnesota Vikings despite spending four high draft picks on defensive linemen the past two seasons.
Rookie first-round pick Aidan Hutchinson has three sacks this season, all in a Week 2 win over the Washington Commanders, and has not yet had the impact the Lions hoped when they made him the No. 2 pick of April’s draft.
Josh Paschal, a second-round pick in April, has not played this season after undergoing summer surgery to fix a sports hernia. Paschal
returned to practice before the Lions’ Week 5 loss to the New England Patriots and could make his season debut as soon as this week.
Alim McNeill, a third-rounder last season, is one of the Lions’ top run defenders but has had minimal impact as a pass rusher so far in his career.
Campbell said the Lions are trending in the right direction elsewhere from an injury standpoint.
Running back D’Andre Swift could return to action for Sunday’s game against the Dallas Cowboys after missing the past two games with a sprained shoulder. Defensive lineman John Cominsky is due back after missing three games with a broken wrist. Amon-Ra St. Brown is expected back near full strength after playing through a high ankle sprain against the Patriots. Cornerback Jerry Jacobs is due to return this week from the torn ACL he suffered in December.
And Campbell said defensive end Romeo Okwara, receiver Jameson Williams and fullback Jason Cabinda remain on track play this season, though none is expected to return to
practice this week.
Cabinda is the closest of those three to returning, Campbell said.
Help on the way
Amani Oruwariye was a surprise inactive for last week’s game against the New England Patriots, but the Lions are not counting their interception leader from last season out of their cornerback rotation yet.
“Amani’s going to get a chance to compete,” Campbell said Monday. “I told him, he’s not out of the boat, so he’s going to get a chance to compete this week and see where he can help us.”
Oruwariye had a career-high and teamleading six interceptions for the Lions in 2021, but struggled through the first month of this season.
Oruwariye is tied for third in the NFL in penalties committed and has allowed 13 receptions for 202 yards in four games, according to Pro Football Reference.
Will Harris started at right cornerback in
Oruwariye’s place against the Patriots, when Campbell said Oruwariye was inactive because of his lack of special teams contributions.
Mike Hughes and Bobby Price, who were active that day as the Lions’ fourth and fifth cornerbacks, played as gunners on the punt cover team, and AJ Parker played slot cornerback in nickel packages.
Campbell downplayed a suggestion Monday that Oruwariye’s early-season struggles are due to his contract situation. Oruwariye is in the final year of his four-year rookie contract and until recently appeared headed for a significant payday as a free agent next spring.
“I don’t know about all that,” Campbell said. “I think it’s just, every player’s a little bit different at any given time and there’s always these circumstances that are sometimes you have control over, sometimes maybe not. But look, Amani’s a pro and look, he had two good days back-to-back last week, came out to work and so I anticipate him coming out Wednesday ready to roll and he’s a competitor.”
Jeff Okudah, in his return from a torn Achilles tendon, has been the Lions’ best cornerback through five weeks, though he was flagged twice for pass interference against the Patriots and has a 93.9 passer rating against, according to Pro Football Reference.
The Lions should be getting another potential starter back in their secondary this week as Jerry Jacobs is closing in on a return from a torn ACL.
Jacobs, who started nine games as an undrafted rookie last season, said before the bye he expected to be activated for the Lions’ Week 7 game against the Dallas Cowboys.
“The good news about Jerry is, man, when he’s physically ready, you know you can take him to the game cause he’s going to help you on special teams immediately,” Campbell said. “So now you’ve got him to the game and now it’s, OK, hey, you sprinkle him in outside or maybe we do feel good at nickel. Look, he brings value to the roster at a minimum just to have him game day cause he does so many things.”