Tag: Levi Onwuzurike

Lions DT Levi Onwuzurike has back surgery and is out for the season

Onwuzurike had season-ending disk surgery in his back

Dan Campbell opened up his press conference on Monday with some bad but not entirely unexpected news. The Lions head coach offered up the information that second-year DT will miss the rest of the season after undergoing back surgery during the team’s bye week.

“Levi, about a week ago, had surgery on his back,” Campbell said. “He is out for the season.”

Onwuzurike has not played in 2022. He aggravated the back injury that has plagued him since his college days at Washington on the very first rep of padded practice this summer.

When asked for more detail on the specifics of the injury, Campbell described the issue as “a disk” in his lower back.

“It’s a last resort,” Campbell said of the surgery, adding that both Onwuzurike and the team consulted with multiple doctors to assess his prognosis.

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Levi Onwuzurike not progressing in recovery from his back injury

Head coach Dan Campbell was not optimistic about seeing Onwuzurike anytime soon

The Detroit Lions defensive line has not been playing well lately, and one of the players who was expected to be a key piece remains sidelined. Based on what head coach Dan Campbell said on Monday, it seems unlikely Levi Onwuzurike will be able to help anytime soon.

Campbell was asked about the progress of Onwuzurike, who has been on injured reserve all season with a back injury. Earlier this summer, Campbell described Onwuzurike’s recovery as “a snail’s pace”. It seems that the snail isn’t accelerating.

“That meter is not moving,” Campbell responded when asked if Onwuzurike was getting closer to returning.

Onwuzurike’s back injury dates back to his college days at Washington. He was able to play through the injury in his rookie season in 2021, though the second-round pick was not impactful in his play.

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Dan Campbell: Levi Onwuzurike’s injury ‘not progressing the way we hoped”

Onwuzurike was placed on IR before Week 1 with a back injury that dates to before the Lions drafted him

It slid a little under the radar, but the Lions placed second-year DT Levi Onwuzurike on the injured reserve on Saturday. The big lineman from Washington will be out through at least Week 4 with the ongoing back and hip injury that has kept him sidelined since the first padded practice of training camp.

Lions head coach Dan Campbell was asked about Onwuzurike’s status in his press conference on Monday. Campbell offered a somber response on the 2021 second-rounder.

“It’s still the same issue,” Campbell said. “It’s just slow going right now. We don’t feel like there’s a setback but yet it’s just not progressing the way we hoped.”

Back in the preseason, Campbell termed Onwuzurike’s recovery at “a snail’s pace”. It’s an injury that dates back to before the Lions selected Onwuzurike with the No. 41 overall pick a year ago. He played in 16 games as a rookie but was largely ineffective due to his ongoing back problems.

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Lions place DT Levi Onwuzurike on IR among roster moves for Week 1

The Detroit Lions place DT Levi Onwuzurike on IR and promote 2 players from the practice squad for Week 1

The Detroit Lions made a few roster moves the day before the Week 1 opener at Ford Field against the Philadelphia Eagles.

Most notable is moving defensive tackle Levi Onwuzurike to the injured reserve list. Onwuzurike has not practiced in over a month with a back and hip injury, one that head coach Dan Campbell labeled a “snail’s pace” of a recovery. He had been ruled out for Sunday’s game on the final injury report for the week.

In addition to shelving Onwuzurike through at least the next four weeks, the Lions also promoted two players from the practice squad to the active roster for the game versus the Eagles. Running back Justin Jackson and linebacker Anthony Pittman earned the call-up.

Each player can be elevated for a game from the practice squad up to three times before the team is required to sign them to the active roster.

Jackson could very well serve as the kick returner for the game. Pittman has been a special teams fixture in his prior Lions seasons and that could carry into Sunday if he’s not placed on the inactive list.

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Lions final Week 1 injury report: 2 players ruled out, Frank Ragnow questionable

Levi Onwuzurike and Tommy Kraemer will not play against the Eagles due to injury

The final injury report and game status listing for the Detroit Lions ahead of the team’s Week 1 matchup with the Philadelphia Eagles is now finalized.

Two Lions players, DT Levi Onwuzurike and RG Tommy Kraemer, have been ruled out with injuries. Neither player practiced at all during the week. Onwuzurike has not been on the field since the first padded practice of training camp with an ongoing back and hip injury.

Kraemer was projected to start at RG in place of Halapoulivaati Vaitai, who was placed on IR this week with a back injury of his own. With Kraemer out, the Lions’ next man up would be Logan Stenberg.

Safety Ifeatu Melifonwu is listed as doubtful with a hamstring injury. Melifonwu was limited in practices all week and has missed considerable time this summer.

Center Frank Ragnow and DE Julian Okwara are questionable for Sunday’s game. Ragnow was a limited participant on Friday after sitting out Thursday’s session with a groin injury. Okwara has been battling a hamstring injury since early in training camp.

Three other players who were listed on the injury report during the week carry no game-day designation, meaning they are expected to play. DL John Cominksy, LB, Chris Board and K Austin Seibert were all full participants in both Thursday and Friday practices.

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Lions injury report: 3 players out, 5 more limited as team prepares for first game

Lions injury report: 3 players out, 5 more limited in practice as Detroit prepares for Week 1

The Detroit Lions have released their first injury report of the 2022 season while just days away from their first regular season matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles.

Did not practice: DL John Cominsky (illness), OL Tommy Kraemer (back), DL Levi Onwuzurike (back)

While three players sat out of Wednesday’s practice, only one is of real concern at the moment.

Reserve offensive lineman Tommy Kraemer is currently held out of practice due to a back injury. This injury comes as starting right guard Halapoulivaati Vaitai was recently placed on injured reserve.

Kraemer is one of a few players who could fill in at right guard, especially since he did so several times last season as an undrafted rookie. He played well enough to stick around again this season and the coaches seem to have faith in the young versatile lineman. If this back injury is serious enough to hold him out, the team may have to rely on Logan Stenberg in his place.

Onwuzurike’s injury is old news and even coach Dan Campbell knows that it will take some time for him to be healthy. That said, it does bring up some concerns about the former second-round pick and his availability on game days.

Cominsky missed practice due to an illness and should be ready to go for Sunday, where he will surely be in the interior defensive line rotation.

Limited practice: LB Chris Board (knee), DB Ifeatu Melifonwu (hamstring), EDGE Julian Okwara (hamstring), OL Frank Ragnow (groin), K Austin Seibert (right groin)

While there’s no need to sound the alarms just yet, it is concerning that several of Detroit’s starters are already being limited in practice due to injuries.

To add on to the aforementioned injury to Vaitai, starting center Frank Ragnow is dealing with a groin injury at the moment. The former Pro Bowler missed a majority of games last season due to a toe injury and is now being held back by a groin issue. He isn’t ruled out for Sunday’s game, but the Lions can rest easy knowing they have reliable backup Evan Brown ready to go if needed.

Seibert’s groin injury comes after he too missed a large chunk of the 2021 season. While it hasn’t been reported on before, his injury may explain why the Lions re-signed Aldrick Rosas to the practice squad last week.

Linebacker Chris Board is dealing with a recent knee injury, but his limited status provides some hope that it isn’t too serious. Board should be in line for some reps at inside linebacker while playing predominantly on special teams.

Melifonwu and Okwara’s names appearing on this list inspire more optimism than concern as the two have missed many practices throughout camp and the preseason. This was Melifonwu’s first practice back in weeks and he may be sidelined for the game against Philadelphia. Okwara has been back at practice for a week now and is looking more and more likely to see the field in a limited capacity this Sunday.

Lions GM Brad Holmes downplays the 2nd-round injury risks he’s taken

Holmes said he evaluates pre-existing injuries “case-by-case” but he’s not shied from taking on those cases

Through two draft seasons as the general manager of the Detroit Lions, Brad Holmes has not shied away from taking chances on players carrying injury baggage. That’s especially true in the second round.

In 2021, Holmes and the Lions selected DL Levi Onwuzurike from Washington. This year it was Kentucky DE Josh Paschal. Both brought unclean bills of health from college through the draft process. Onwuzurike had an ongoing back problem while Paschal, who also missed most of a season conquering cancer on his foot, missed the end of his senior season and the Senior Bowl with a groin injury.

The injuries have lingered. Onwuzurike was ineffective as a rookie and has been able to practice exactly one day in pads in 2022 before reaggravating the injury. He’s on the 53-man roster but unlikely to play Week 1 with what head coach Dan Campbell termed a “snail’s pace” recovery.

Paschal is on the reserve/PUP list, missing his entire rookie training camp and preseason. His injury required core muscle surgery and his return to the field is unknown.

In his press conference on Thursday, Holmes was asked if the Lions held a flawed injury evaluation process with the second-rounders.

“I think everything is – especially when it comes to medical, it’s always case-by-case. And you’re going back with Levi (Onwuzurike), he was dealing with something that we were aware of and that we knew about,” Holmes said. “And so, he actually was able to do more than what he was going to able last year. And so, unfortunately, he’s had to still deal with it, but you just don’t have that crystal ball quite yet.”

Holmes then continued on Paschal,

“And then, with Josh (Paschal) it was something that we were aware of, that we knew that he had to deal with, while we have a timeline in place, and we don’t have any problem with it. So, it’s not – we’re not kicking ourselves, we’re not saying, ‘Oh, we overlooked this or that,’ it’s just things that we were prepared for.”

Of course, the second-rounders aren’t the only players with existing injuries that Holmes has drafted. He traded up in the first round to snag Alabama WR Jameson Williams, who will miss at least four weeks as he recovers from January knee surgery. Fifth-round TE James Mitchell still isn’t full speed from a knee injury that cost him most of his final college season at Virginia Tech, though he’s on track to play a role in Week 1.

It’s a question that Holmes will need to evaluate more conscientiously in the next draft cycle if Onwuzurike and Paschal are both washed out in 2022. Even though the Lions are still climbing up in the rebuild and generally not expected to contend for the postseason this year, getting nothing out of two top-45 picks because of preexisting injuries would be a very bad look for Holmes.

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Julian Okwara returns to Lions practice, 5 others sit out

Julian Okwara returns to practice for the first time in weeks, while five other Lions sit out Thursday’s practice session

For the first time in several weeks, Lions defensive end Julian Okwara was a full participant in practice. No. 99 returned to action after missing the entire preseason with a leg injury.

Okwara’s appearance reinforces head coach Dan Campbell’s statement last week that Okwara could be ready for the Week 1 matchup with the Philadelphia Eagles on September 11th.

Alas, the Lions defense remains stocked with some injuries. Four defensive players sat out the portion of practice open to reporters:

  • DE Austin Bryant
  • S Ifeatu Melifownu
  • CB Amani Oruwariye
  • DT Levi Onwuzurike

Melifonwu and Onwuzurike have each missed considerable time with injuries; their absence is not surprising. Bryant and Oruwariye have been healthy and could just be getting some time off before a long break. The Lions are off from practice through the holiday weekend.

Tight end T.J. Hockenson also did not take part in individual drills. Hockenson does not have any known injury limitations.

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Levi Onwuzurike’s back injury recovery at ‘snail’s pace’ per Dan Campbell

Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell offered an update on injured DT Levi Onwuzurike and his ongoing back/hip injury

It’s looking less and less likely that the Detroit Lions will have defensive lineman Levi Onwuzurike available to start the 2022 regular season. The second-year DT is battling through a lingering back and hip injury that flared up again recently, and head coach Dan Campbell did not sound optimistic about a quick heal for Onwuzurike.

“He’s trending the right way, but it’s at a snail’s pace, is the best way to say it,” Campbell said before Thursday’s practice when asked about Onwuzurike.

It was yet another practice session Onwuzurike has missed. He has not participated since the first padded practice of training camp nearly a month ago. The injury dates back to his college days at Washington, from whence the Lions selected Onwuzurike in the second round of the 2021 NFL draft.

He struggled through the injury in his rookie season, also shaking off the rust of sitting out the 2020 college season due to the global pandemic. Onwuzurike had just one sack and 35 total tackles in 16 games and did not look nearly as explosive or agile as he had in his earlier career with the Huskies program.

Campbell had recently indicated Onwuzurike would be ready before the start of the season, but that optimistic tone was nowhere to be found when the head coach addressed it on Thursday.

“He’s doing everything we’re asking him to do; it is getting better,” Campbell said of the back malady. “I would say that, if you’re asking me right now, you’re twisting my arm, I’m saying he’s not available for Philly (Week 1). That’s me. But we’ll see.”

With Onwuzurike sidelined for such an extended period, it has opened the door for John Cominsky, Isaiah Buggs and others to get significant reps at the rush tackle spot where he projects to play. The lost practice and playing time are more critical because the Lions are changing defensive schemes and incorporating a lot of coordinated attack movements with the linemen.

Because he did practice with the team earlier in training camp, Onwuzurike is ineligible for the PUP list. They can keep him on the active roster through the cutdown to 53 players and then place him on injured reserve, allowing Onwuzurike to return sometime during the season but not until at least Week 5. If they place him on IR prior to those cutdowns, Onwuzurike will not be eligible to play for the team in 2022.

No decision has been made on that front, but the clock is ticking on the chances for Onwuzurike to be a productive member of the Lions this season.

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Lions injury update: Jason Cabinda, Levi Onwuzurike both out for at least another week

Coach Dan Campbell already ruled out both Cabinda and Onwuzurike from any activity this week

Lions head coach Dan Campbell addressed a wide range of topics in his press conference from Allen Park on Monday. One of the more downbeat notes came when coach Campbell was asked about the injury status of two players.

When Campbell was asked about fullback Jason Cabinda, he quickly ruled him out not just for this week’s preseason game with the Indianapolis Colts, but also stated it’s “highly unlikely” we see Cabinda in the preseason finale against the Pittsburgh Steelers on August 28th.

Cabinda is on the PUP list with an injury that Campbell describes as “ankles,” without specifying exactly what is wrong with them.

The next player Campbell was asked about was second-year DL Levi Onwuzurike, who has not practiced in two weeks since aggravating his preexisting back/hip injury. It’s the same malady that washed out much of his rookie season.

Campbell was not optimistic that Onwuzurike, who is not on the PUP or NFI list, will be ready for the Steelers game in two weeks.

“Same thing, he’s – we’re going a number of guys back this week who we know won’t be ready to practice and just continue to treat them, get them ready, and see if we can get them going for Pittsburgh next week or that week of practice,” Campbell said, referencing Onwuzurike. “So, they all kind of fall under the same bucket, I don’t really have a timeline on him.”

Onwuzurike’s absence has been exacerbated because this year’s second-round pick, Josh Paschal, is on the PUP list as he efforts a return from a leg injury that prematurely ended his senior season at Kentucky.

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