Allen Park — Sidelined more than five weeks with a back injury, the Detroit Lions conceded Levi Onwuzurike’s isn’t going to be ready anytime soon. On Saturday, the team placed the second-year defensive lineman on injured reserve, a day before the regular season opener.
Onwuzurike has been out of action since Aug. 1, suffering his injury during Detroit’s first padded practice of training camp. Two weeks ago, coach Dan Campbell noted the player was making steady progress in his rehab, but was healing slower than anticipated.
“He’s trending the right way, but it’s at a snail’s pace, is the best way to say it,” Campbell said.
Onwuzurike has essentially been dealing with back issues since being selected by the Lions in the second round of the 2021 draft. He missed extensive practice time during the offseason of his rookie year, was scratched from the season opener and logged 20 or fewer defensive snaps the first six games last year.
Expected to bring a pass-rushing presence to the interior of Detroit’s defensive line, he mustered just three quarterback pressures in 16 games last season. Now, his development has seemingly been stunted further by the recurrence of the injury this year.
“He misses a lot,” defensive line coach Todd Wash said last month. “We saw some real good things in OTAs with the (defensive) philosophy change. That’s the way he played at Washington, so that was another exciting thing with the transition that we made. But he misses a lot, obviously. The only way you can get better at football is taking reps. So when he does get back, we’re going to have to put him in the fire real quick.”
By being placed on injured reserve, Onwuzurike will be required to miss at least the first four games. He’ll be eligible to return starting with Detroit’s Week 5 game against New England.
In addition to Onwuzurike’s transfer to injured reserve, the Lions are elevating two players off the practice squad for Sunday’s game against the Eagles — linebacker Anthony Pittman and running back Justin Jackson.
Pittman, in his fourth season with the Lions, led the team in special teams snaps last season. Jackson, a four-year veteran who led the team in rushing during the preseason, could be in the mix to return kicks in the opener.
jdrogers@detroitnes.com
Twitter: @Justin_Rogers