After over a month of silence, things are expected to pick up for the Detroit Lions this week. The NFL will host all 32 teams as they conduct their NFL scouting combine in Indianapolis. While the prospects on the field will be under the spotlight, conversations about free agents will also make headlines, with free agency around the corner.
Lions fans are likely excited to see who could wind up in Detroit when free agency officially begins on March 11, as well as to see some players leave town, including reserve guard Kayode Awosika.
Awosika has been with the Lions since the 2022 season but was thrust into his most extensive action last year. His poor performance and likely salary demand could have Detroit thinking twice about having him return, and it’s likely to lead to his exit in just a couple of weeks.
Lions OL Kayode Awosika Likely to Leave in Free Agency After 2025 Struggles
Awosika was a practice squad pickup from the Philadelphia Eagles during the 2022 season and has since been a key reserve for the Lions along the offensive line. Even though he’s appeared in 49 total games, he’s started just 11 of them, making a career-high four starts during the 2025 campaign.
Unfortunately, his time in the starting lineup didn’t go as planned. Replacing the injured Christian Mahogany, Awosika was a disaster in pass protection, allowing 10 pressures and three sacks in 160 pass-blocking snaps and posting an overall grade of 57.9 in 287 offensive snaps, according to Pro Football Focus.
The other factor is that his performance in pass protection shouldn’t have been a surprise. In 555 career pass-blocking snaps, Awosika has allowed 52 pressures and seven sacks. A 9.3% pressure rate isn’t a good way to maintain your spot on the roster, and Awosika’s could be in further jeopardy considering the Lions’ plans for the offensive line this season.
Mahogany is likely to stick around as he is under contract through the 2027 season, but the Lions used a fifth-round pick on Miles Frazier in the 2025 draft. A player that had some experts suggesting he could have gone as high as the second round, Detroit would probably like to see what they have in Frazier after missing most of his rookie season with a knee injury and with a cap number of $1.08 million, per OverTheCap, it could bring significant savings that can be used to upgrade other areas of the roster.
Of course, the Lions need two backup guards, and letting Awosika walk could give way to another late-round draft pick or a more effective free agent. While most of the discussion surrounds center and tackle, the Lions could look for someone with more experience under new offensive coordinator Drew Petzing, including former Arizona Cardinals offensive lineman Will Hernandez, who has a $2 million market value, per Spotrac.
There are also possibilities in the draft to add more upside to the group, including Georgia Tech’s Keylan Rutledge or Iowa’s Gennings Dunker. While these are top prospects that could graduate to a starting role, the Lions could go deeper into the draft and try to develop someone to take Awosika’s role.
While it’s not a given Awosika could leave, it’s hard to see the Lions keeping him around after last year’s struggles, especially at a Spotrac projection of $2.8 million. It could lead to both sides moving on and hoping to find a better situation as the offseason kicks into full gear.