The Detroit Lions' defense is already beginning 2025 on the wrong foot after dealing with a bad case of the injury bug throughout their '24 campaign.

During his pre-training camp press conference on Sunday, head coach Dan Campbell told reporters that defensive tackle Levi Onwuzurike will miss the entirety of the 2025 season due to a torn ACL.

"Alright, let me start with Levi," Campbell relayed in a somber tone. "Levi's out for the year ... Levi's surgery was, um, you know, it was significant. But it needed to be done. Out of his control and it needed to be done, so he will miss the season."

Detroit placed Onwuzurike on the reserve/PUP list on Thursday afternoon, meaning he was slated to miss at least the first four games. Unfortunately, he's now done for the entire year.

Onwuzurike was drafted by the Lions in the second round of the 2021 NFL draft and has become a key piece of their defensive front. He tallied 28 total tackles, a forced fumble, and a career-high 1.5 sacks in 2024—leading him to re-sign with the franchise on a one-year deal this past offseason.

The Lions' first open training camp practice is set to take place this coming Saturday. The team will later start the season in Green Bay against the Packers on Sunday, Sept. 7.

More NFL on Sports Illustrated


This article was originally published on www.si.com as Lions Defender to Miss 2025 Season With Torn ACL.

Test hyperlink for boilerplate