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Lions re-sign recently released Levi Onwuzurike to practice squad
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- Lions re-sign recently released Levi Onwuzurike to practice squad
Levi Onwuzurike is back with the Detroit Lions , but he won't play in their season opener against the New Orleans Saints .
The Lions signed Onwuzuirke to the practice squad on Saturday, Sept. 12, one day after releasing him in a money-saving move.
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Some NFL teams cut vested veterans before Week 1 to avoid having to pay out their contracts in the event they're released later in the year. Players with at least four accrued seasons are eligible to collect their full base salaries if they're on a team's 53-man roster to start the regular season.
Detroit Lions defensive lineman Levi Onwuzurike (95) runs after Washington Commanders quarterback Sam Hartman (15) who was scrambling out of the pocket during the first quarter against the Washington Commanders at Ford Field in Detroit on Saturday, August 22, 2026.
Onwuzirke has a long injury history – he missed all of last season with a torn ACL and did not play in 2022 because of a back injury – but was expected to play a rotational role on the Lions' defensive line this fall at tackle and big end.
The Lions have 10 defensive linemen on their 53-man roster, including starting defensive tackles Alim McNeill and Tyleik Williams and big ends Tyler Lacy and Ahmed Hassanein. They also elevated defensive lineman Ben Stille from the practice squad to the gameday roster for Sunday.
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Dave Birkett covers the Lions for the Detroit Free Press. Contact him at dbirkett@freepress.com . Follow him on Bluesky , X and Instagram at @davebirkett.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Lions re-sign recently released Levi Onwuzurike to practice squad
