At this week’s NFL Combine, Detroit Lions general manager Brad Holmes addressed the difficulty of retaining all the players he’d like to as more core pieces become eligible for contract extensions.
“We’re at a point with our roster where we’ve identified several young core players we want to keep long-term,” Holmes said. “Unfortunately, that means making tough decisions on other players whose contracts we may not be able to accommodate, even if we’d like to keep them. It’s not about not wanting them—it’s simply that we can’t keep everyone.”
At its core, Holmes is bracing for the inevitable loss of one or more free agents in the coming weeks. The reality is that “you can’t pay everyone,” meaning some players will take priority over others.
Related: 5 Lions free agents who could join Aaron Glenn with the Jets
Analyst predicts a key Lions free agent is likely to depart.
ESPN’s Aaron Schatz recently predicted one 2025 free agent signing for each NFL team. He projected Cowboys defensive tackle Osa Odighizuwa as a potential addition for the Lions, though that now seems even less likely with Dallas making a strong effort to retain him.
However, within his projection, Schatz also provided a more definitive take on a player the Lions could lose in free agency.
“Following last season’s wave of injuries, the Lions need to stock up on quality defensive players. As a high-energy interior pass-rusher, Odighizuwa could step in for the departing Levi Onwuzurike and rotate with Alim McNeill up front. He posted career-best numbers last season with 4.5 sacks and 33 pressures, the latter tying for second among interior linemen.”
Schatz didn’t use words like “potentially” or “possibly”—he outright stated Onwuzurike is departing. While it has seemed more likely that he will sign elsewhere rather than return to Detroit, there’s still a reasonable argument to be made for the Lions keeping him.
Onwuzurike delivered the strongest season of his career in 2024, playing the most snaps of any Lions defensive lineman while moving across the front. Pro Football Focus ranked him among the league’s top 25 defensive tackles, and his 12.5% pass rush win rate placed him in the top 15 at his position.
However, his free agency outlook comes with complexities. He missed the entire 2022 season following lumbar fusion back surgery, a procedure no other known player has successfully returned from, and he wasn’t fully healthy in 2023. As a result, opinions on his market value vary widely. While his lingering back issues from college seemed to be behind him last season, such injuries often remain a long-term concern.
It will be intriguing to see what kind of contract Onwuzurike secures in free agency and which team signs him—perhaps the Jets, where he could reunite with Aaron Glenn? The chances of the Lions matching the higher end of his potential market value have seemed no better than 50/50, and Schatz appears confident in his departure as Onwuzurike prepares for what could be his best opportunity to land a lucrative deal.