Dan Campbell‘s offseason plan didn’t include crisis management, but that’s exactly where he’s landed as the Lions opened training camp. The defense is already limping into July with a half-dozen names on the PUP list, and Campbell’s tone—normally charged with grit and defiance—has shifted to guarded updates and hopeful timelines. What was supposed to be a ramp-up to the season has turned into a patch job, with setbacks piling up before pads are even fully on.

The real blow came with Campbell’s worriesome update heading into camp: Defensive tackle Levi Onwuzurike is already ruled out for the entire 2025 season, and CB Ennis Rakestraw has sustained a contusion after a collision on 11-on-11s. And yes, there are still certain players who are sidelined from the practice sessions. And now?

The head coach recently revealed that RB Sione Vaki won’t practice today. To worsen it, Campbell “thinks” that DL Roy Lopez will be out as well after he got “stepped on” yesterday. That’s not the kind of news the Lions fans want to hear every time Campbell comes for the pressers. A key figure on the Lions’ special teams, Vaki left Monday’s practice early with a hamstring injury. In the meantime, if the reports are accurate, the second-year running back is being evaluated, and his status remains unclear.

The Lions picked Vaki in the fourth round of the 2024 NFL draft with the 132nd pick. With Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery already on the roster, Vaki is battling for the RB3 job, alongside Craig Reynolds. The RB had a limited presence in his rookie season, recording just six carries for 14 yards and three receptions for 37 yards. The Lions haven’t issued any further clarification on his leg injury, but he’s set to miss today’s practice session.

Meanwhile, Roy Lopez was injured during practice on Monday and will also be out of practice on Tuesday. Campbell didn’t specify Lopez’s injury concern but claimed, “Vaki will be out today, and I think Lopez is gonna be down today as well. So I think those two guys will be a few days here. Don’t think they’re major, but we’ll let them see where they shake out.”

The head coach believes that both players could be out for a couple of days. However, he doesn’t think the issue is major. Speaking of which, it’s been a rough week for Coach Campbell, as he’s been dealing with multiple injury concerns on his roster, particularly on the defense.

It’s not a great start to training camp for Dan Campbell

Dan Campbell and the Lions were supposed to enter training camp with optimism, leaving the injury horrors of their last season behind. However, according to reports, they entered the training camp with 9 players currently sidelined. Count six of them, including LT Taylor Decker (shoulder injury), OG Miles Frazier, DT Alim McNeill (ACL), DT Mekhi Wingo (meniscus), LB Malcolm Rodriguez (ACL), and CB Khalil Dorsey (leg injury) on PUP list. Besides, DL Josh Paschal and CB Stanley Thomas-Oliver are suffering from non-football injuries.

Last and hopefully least, DL Levi Onwuzurike is out due to a season-ending ACL surgery. The Lions initially placed Onwuzurike on the PUP list. The former second-round pick was expected to miss at least the first four games of the 2025 season. But within hours, Dan Campbell confirmed that Onwuzurike will miss the entire 2025 season due to a knee injury. “Levi’s surgery was — it was significant. But it needs to be done. Out of his control, and it needed to be done,” the head coach said.

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Onwuzurike already lost his second NFL season to a back injury. And the way things are unfolding, he’s set to miss his second full season in just four years. Meanwhile, besides players on injury lists, the Lions are also facing major additional practice-day absences. And one of them is CB Ennis Rakestraw. The Lions picked Rakestraw in the second round of the 2024 NFL draft, trusting his quick-twitch instincts. Then came the hamstring injury during the warmups of week 2. Just like that, his rookie season was limited to just eight games, six tackles, and zero rhythm.

Fast forward to now, and just one day into the training camp of year 2, Rakestraw walked off the field after sustaining a collision in 11-on-11s, hurting his chest—a contusion, as confirmed by the team. Dan Campbell confirmed that Rakestraw “should be okay,” but he will miss a couple of days of training camp. It’s not a long-term concern. But we’re talking about the Lions’ defense, which has been plagued by injuries since last season.