By Mummy Grace 
The Detroit Lions haven’t even laced up for training camp, but the familiar storm clouds are already gathering. Just days before the team is set to report, the franchise finds itself staring down the same issues that have haunted them in recent years — injuries and uncertainty along the defensive front.
The latest blow? Defensive lineman Levi Onwuzurike has been ruled out for the entire preseason and is expected to miss at least the first four games of the regular season. It’s yet another setback for a player who’s struggled to stay healthy since being drafted in the second round in 2021. Onwuzurike, once projected to be a key disruptor in the trenches, has instead become a symbol of the team’s ongoing battle to build and maintain a healthy, reliable defensive core.
His absence only adds to the Lions’ concern, especially considering the team was hoping for a step forward from the defensive unit this year. With Onwuzurike sidelined, Detroit’s depth on the interior will be tested early, and the coaching staff will be forced to lean more heavily on younger or less experienced players during a crucial evaluation period.
It’s a frustrating development for a team that has Super Bowl aspirations after coming within one game of the big stage last season. While the offense led by Jared Goff and a deep running back room is expected to carry the team, the defense — particularly up front — remains under the microscope.
In a league where durability often separates contenders from pretenders, the Lions are once again reminded that their path forward won’t be without early adversity. And although it’s too soon to sound the alarm, fans have every right to feel a twinge of “here we go again” before a single practice whistle blows.