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Lions Release Defensive End Levi Onwuzurike Before Week 1

By Drooid · Sep 12, 2026, 2:40 PM UTC · How we work

Summary

Lions Release Onwuzurike

The Detroit Lions released defensive end Levi Onwuzurike before Week 1 of the 2026 NFL season.
Onwuzurike re-signed in March 2025 on a one-year, $5.5 million deal before tearing his ACL in camp.
He posted 28 tackles and 1.5 sacks in 16 games in 2024, his best season.
The Lions also released practice-squad defensive lineman Tyre West, a 2026 seventh-round pick from Tennessee.

Summary

Lions Revamp Lineup

Offensive coordinator Drew Petzing makes his regular-season debut in Week 1.
Rookie tackle Blake Miller starts at right tackle for Detroit.
All-Pro Penei Sewell shifts to left tackle as the line is revamped.
Center Juice Scruggs starts after free-agent Cade Mays broke his wrist.
Safeties Kerby Joseph and Brian Branch will miss at least the first four weeks with injuries.

History

Historical Context

In 1994 the NFL imposed its first hard salary cap, set at $34.6 million, forcing teams like the Detroit Lions under owner William Clay Ford Sr. to cut veterans such as Robert Porcher. The cap has risen each year—reaching $255.4 million in 2024—and the Lions’ recent releases of Levi Onwuzurike and others continue the pattern of cap-driven turnover that shapes their roster strategy and playoff outlook.

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Lions Release Onwuzurike

The Detroit Lions released defensive end Levi Onwuzurike before Week 1 of the 2026 NFL season.
Onwuzurike re-signed in March 2025 on a one-year, $5.5 million deal before tearing his ACL in camp.
He posted 28 tackles and 1.5 sacks in 16 games in 2024, his best season.
The Lions also released practice-squad defensive lineman Tyre West, a 2026 seventh-round pick from Tennessee.

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