The Detroit Lions have had to reshuffle their offensive line at left guard over the last few weeks with second-year pro Christian Mahogany banged up. We’ve seen Kayode Awosika, Trystan Colon, and Miles Frazier all take snaps at that position in what can only be described as a revolving door.
If it were up to Lions fans, they would rather see the rookie in Frazier get most of the work until Mahogany returns, as Colon and Awosika’s play has left much to be desired. According to Pro Football Focus, Colon has struggled over the last three weeks, allowing 10 pressures despite only playing on 91 pass-blocking downs — a rate of 11.0%.
That said, Awosika has not been much better when he’s played, and he got the first chance as Mahogany’s replacement in Week 9 vs. Minnesota. This season, Awosika has allowed the same number of pressures as Colon (10); however, that's come in 166 opportunities all season (6.0%).
Therefore, based on his rough performance over the weeks, it would not be surprising to see the Lions ultimately decide not to bring Awosika back, as they already have their backup in Frazier. Between the two, Frazier’s upside is higher and is worth developing heading into next year.
Kayode Awosika Keeps Building His Case on Why Lions Shouldn’t Re-Sign Him
Awosika was thrown into the fire for an injured Mahogany in Week 9, and wasn’t horrible in the limited snaps he played. The veteran lineman didn’t allow any pressures, providing adequate protection.
Awosika played well against the Commanders in Week 10, quelling the fears of Lions fans who were concerned about how he would hold up. However, things quickly went downhill for Awosika in the Lions’ Week 11 primetime game against the Eagles, as their D-line overwhelmed him and rookie Tate Rateledge.
All the good faith Awosika built up disappeared, as he allowed three pressures and struggled to hold his own in run blocking (48.4 grade).
For a team like the Lions that wants to win in the trenches on both sides, Awosika was clearly one of the weak links on the offensive line. Now, to his credit, he rebounded somewhat vs. the New York Giants and Green Bay Packers, but he still gave up five pressures and three sacks over that span.
Aside from that, Awosika has missed the last two games due to a foot injury, which doesn’t help his case to get back on the field. Even though Colon and Fraizer have not played well as of late, it's not like Awosika would’ve been better at left guard.
Heading into this season, the Lions likely didn’t think Awosika would play as much as he did. But with injuries, you have to expect the unexpected and be ready when your name is called. He did not do that, and could likely be playing elsewhere in 2026.