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Why Lions don't have quite as much offseason shopping to do on DL
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- Why Lions don't have quite as much offseason shopping to do on DL
INDIANAPOLIS – The Detroit Lions don't have quite as much offseason shopping to do on the defensive line as it once seemed.
Lions general manager Brad Holmes confirmed this week that the contracts for defensive linemen Levi Onwuzurike and Josh Paschal tolled after both players missed the 2025 season with injury.
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Onwuzurike spent the season on the reserve/physically unable to perform list after he underwent spring surgery for a torn ACL. Lions coach Dan Campbell said during training camp the injury was "something that crept up" on the Lions after they re-signed Onwuzurike to a one-year deal in free agency.
Paschal missed the season with a back injury. He returned to practice for three weeks in the fall , but the Lions never activated him from the nonfootball injury list, giving them the chance to bring him back again on the final year of his rookie contract.
Asked about both players at the combine this week, Holmes was noncommittal about Paschal's future in Detroit.
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"Levi, we'll be able to bring him back," Holmes said. "And then Josh, we'll have the ability to bring him back as well. There's still discussions to be had about that one, but yeah, it's a possibility."
Onwuzurike, a second-round pick in 2021, has battled injuries throughout his career. He missed the entire 2022 season following back surgery and played just 10 games in 2023, but was a key rotational player on the defensive front in 2024, when he played both as a big end and defensive tackle.
Paschal started 10 games and played primarily at defensive end in 2024, though he also can play inside in sub packages.
Tennessee Titans quarterback Mason Rudolph (11) gets pulled to the ground by Detroit Lions defensive end Levi Onwuzurike (91) after throwing an interception in the first quarter at Ford Field on Sunday, Oct. 27, 2024 in Detroit.
The Lions have just two edge rushers under contract for next season in Aidan Hutchinson and Ahmed Hassanein. Al-Quadin Muhammad and Marcus Davenport will be unrestricted free agents in March, and Tyrus Wheat is a restricted free agent.
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At defensive tackle, Alim McNeill , Tyleik Williams , Mekhi Wingo , Tyler Lacy and Chris Smith are under contract for 2026, while DJ Reader and Roy Lopez are pending free agents.
The Lions still are expected to pursue pass-rush help in free agency and/or the draft.
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: Why Lions DL Levi Onwuzurike, Josh Paschal could return in 2026
