The Detroit Lions made another unexpected roster adjustment Friday, releasing veteran defensive lineman Levi Onwuzurike and defensive lineman Tyre West from the practice squad.
The timing immediately makes the Onwuzurike decision interesting. Detroit had just filled its final active-roster opening by promoting Tom Kennedy on Thursday. Releasing Onwuzurike now creates another spot on the 53-man roster only two days before the season opener against New Orleans.
West’s departure simultaneously creates additional practice-squad flexibility.
Nothing in Friday’s announcement identifies who, if anyone, Detroit plans to add. Still, two newly available roster spots give Brad Holmes options heading into Week 1.
Onwuzurike’s departure also closes a strange final chapter with Detroit. His contract effectively received an extra year after he missed the entire 2025 season, a situation that had given him another opportunity to make the Lions in 2026.
Onwuzurike’s Final Opportunity Ends Abruptly
Detroit selected Onwuzurike in the second round of the 2021 NFL Draft, but injuries repeatedly interrupted his development.
The most frustrating example came last season. After generating 45 quarterback pressures with a 12.5 percent pass-rush win rate in 2024, Onwuzurike missed all of 2025 after suffering a torn ACL. Detroit entered this summer viewing him as a potential wild card along a defensive front that had become significantly deeper, according to the team’s 2026 defensive-line training camp preview.
The possibility of Detroit eventually moving on had already been examined earlier this offseason, particularly because the contract that rolled into 2026 carried relatively little financial risk for the Lions.
He survived final cuts anyway. Detroit’s initial 53-man roster included Onwuzurike in an unusually deep defensive-line group.
Less than two weeks later, that evaluation changed.
Detroit’s Defensive Line Depth Won the Numbers Game
The release says something about the players who remain.
Detroit still has Aidan Hutchinson, Alim McNeill, Tyleik Williams, D.J. Wonnum, Derrick Moore, Tyler Lacy, Mekhi Wingo, Skyler Gill-Howard, Ahmed Hassanein and Eric O’Neill among its defensive-front options. The Lions spent much of August talking about the depth and competition created within that group.
West ran into the same numbers problem.
Detroit drafted the Tennessee lineman 222nd overall in April after he produced 20.5 tackles for loss and 10 sacks in college. The Lions specifically liked his ability to rush from different alignments, as detailed in the team’s post-draft evaluation of West.
He failed to make the initial 53 but returned on the practice squad. Friday ended that stint as well.
The more intriguing question now concerns the empty chairs.
Detroit has reopened an active-roster spot less than 48 hours after filling one and created another opening on the practice squad. That does not mean a signing or trade is imminent.
It does mean Holmes once again has room to maneuver.
And two days before Week 1, that is worth watching.
