The Detroit Lions are quietly starting to roll in free agency after the NFL's new league year started at 4:00 PM ET on Wednesday. They signed linebacker Grant Stuard and that was a nice deal, but then they made a big one when they brought back defensive lineman Levi Onwuzurike.
Having Onwuzurike back is a big deal for the Lions. He just had a really good 2024 that saw him put up 47 pressures and three sacks. It was also his first full season in the NFL after dealing with a back injury for his first four years in the league.
The other big deal is the fact that this wasn't a big deal. The Lions got quite the discount with Onwuzurike on a one-year deal worth $5.5 million. The projected contract that cap expert Joshua Queipo expected him to get was a two-year deal worth $28 million.
There were likely some questions around the league as to what to think of Onwuzurike's back injury and if he was going to be a risky signing. Two years for $28 million is a lot, but the feeling was that even if he didn't get that, he could at least get $10 million for one year.
Detroit was always the best spot for him to be because this team has worked with him the entire time and they know what to expect and how to work with the player and whatever his boundaries are on the field. Having him back at that amount is just a really good deal.
While I don't quite know what his market looked like around the league, it feels safe to bet that Onwuzurike looked at this moment as a time to bet on himself. This is a one-year deal. If he can ball out in 2025 and show that he's going to stay healthy, the Lions, or maybe another team, would probably be happy to offer him a much bigger deal. Instead of $28 million, he could be looking at $40 or $45 million. This is just really smart deal for both parties.
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