The Detroit Lions will be bringing back defensive tackle Levi Onwuzurike for the 2026 season, according to Detroit Football Network's Justin Rogers. With this development, it may mean fellow DT Roy Lopez isn't returning to the Motor City.
Onwuzurike suffered an ACL injury in July of 2025 that sidelined him for the entire season. Given the nature of his injury, the defensive tackle was ultimately placed on the non-football injury list. Despite the 2025 campaign being the final year that Onwuzurike was under contract, the 27-year-old will be back in the fold for 2026 thanks to the league's collective bargaining agreement.
As Rogers pointed out, the NFL's CBA has a provision that states, “A player who is placed on a Non-football Injury or Illness list ('N-F/I') will not be entitled to any compensation under his contract while on such list but, except as provided below, his contract will continue to run while in such status."
"A player on N-F/I who is in the final year of his contract (including an option year) will have his contract tolled. However, if the player is physically able to perform his football services on or before the sixth regular season game, the Club must pay the player his negotiated Paragraph 5 Salary (pro rata) for the balance of the season in order to toll such player’s contract. If such player is taken off N-F/I during the period when such action is allowed by League rules, his contract will not be tolled," the CBA also states.
Onwuzurike is back in the fold. Lopez, who'd probably be ahead of Onwuzurike and Alim McNeill on the depth chart, is now expendable, mainly because of the price. Onwuzurike comes at almost half the price ($4 million) as Lopez ($7 million), and those added savings can then be utilized elsewhere.
Roy Lopez Wants to Return to Lions in 2026
This is an unfortunate turn of events for Lopez, as he's made it clear he wants to return to the Lions. As Lopez said in early January, "This place has been great for me. My lady loves it, so that's nice. It's been good for me, man. It's been good in the fact of it's such a great room I've been a part of. Being able to see routines on a weekly basis, whether it's Hutch (Aidan Hutchinson) and DJ (Reader) or whether it's Alim (McNeill). It's changed my career."
While he certainly caused havoc by stopping the run, sporting the No. 18-ranked PFF run-defense grade (68.9) in the NFL this past season, his talents would be welcomed by any team in the league.
Business is business, and Brad Holmes has other areas to focus on. The offensive trenches need resources more urgently. Jahmyr Gibbs, Sam LaPorta, and Brian Branch are all due for big-money contracts. Especially Gibbs.
Lopez may be caught in a cap crunch. Whoever ends up with him is getting an elite hole-plugger, though. That much can be said after his play throughout the 2025 campaign.
The Lions don't need what Lopez provides as much as others with Onwuzurike on the way back. Not even with more money to play with, thanks to a higher-than-expected salary cap.