Okwara has agreed to a restructured contract to remain in Detroit in 2023, Justin Rogers of The Detroit News reports.
Okwara reportedly took a massive pay cut by lowering his base salary from $11 million to $2 million after missing most of the past two seasons due to a torn Achilles. The 27-year-old will now compete for a prominent role in Detroit's pass-rush rotation ahead of the 2023 campaign before hitting free agency in 2024.
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Lions' Romeo Okwara: Records two sacks in 2022
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Okwara recorded eight tackles and two sacks over five games in 2022.
After tearing his Achilles just four weeks into the three-year, $37 million contract Okwara signed in 2021, the Notre Dame product didn't return until Week 14 of the 2022 campaign, only making a difference during a two-sack performance against the Jets in Week 15. With the Lions able to save over $7 million against the salary cap by potentially letting him go this offseason, Okwara is not certain to return to Detroit in 2023.
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Lions' Romeo Okwara: Two sacks against Jets
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Okwara notched four tackles including two sacks during Sunday's 20-17 win over the Jets.
After making his season debut last week against the Vikings, Okwara saw an increased role against the Jets and got right back to his pass-rushing ways in the process. With Charles Harris (groin) and Julian Okwara (elbow) on injured reserve, look for the Lions to give Romeo as much as he can handle down the stretch as Detroit pushes for a playoff spot.
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Lions' Romeo Okwara: Ready for season debut
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Head coach Dan Campbell said Friday that he's confident Okwara (Achilles) will be able to play Sunday against the Vikings, Tim Twentyman of the Lions' official site reports.
Regarding Okwara's weekend availability, coach Campbell also said "we certainly see him going and having a role for us," per Twentyman. The 27-year-old hasn't been able to take the field yet this year due to the torn Achilles he suffered back in Week 4 of last season, but he's now expected to play and start at defensive end in Sunday's matchup versus Minnesota. With that being said, it's possible that Okwara could be on a limited snap count given his prolonged absence.
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Lions' Romeo Okwara: Not listed on injury report
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Okwara isn't listed on the injury report Wednesday.
Okwara was activated off the reserve/PUP list last Saturday but was deemed inactive for Week 13. The absence appears to have been precautionary, as the veteran defensive end is off the injury report to start Week 14 prep and appears likely to make his season debut Sunday against the Vikings.
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Lions' Romeo Okwara: Returns to active roster
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The Lions activated Okwara (Achilles) from the reserve/PUP list Saturday.
Okwara suffered a season-ending torn Achilles in October of 2021, and he was placed on the reserve/PUP list ahead of this regular season. The 27-year-old recorded 44 tackles and a team-high 10 sacks over 16 games in 2020, so he should immediately step up into a prominent role opposite rookie Aidan Hutchinson moving forward.
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Lions' Romeo Okwara: Added to reserve/PUP list
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The Lions placed Okwara (Achilles) on the reserve/PUP list Tuesday.
After tearing his Achilles last October and failing to practice thus far in 2022, the big defensive end is now ineligible to play in the team's first four games. However, Okwara's return to the playing field wasn't expected to come until the middle of the regular season anyway, opening the door for players like Eric Banks and John Cominsky to earn more preseason reps.
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Lions' Romeo Okwara: Not ready for camp
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Okwara (Achilles) was placed on the active/PUP list Sunday.
Okwara suffered a torn Achilles in Week 4 against the Bears last year and isn't expected back until midseason. His absence should open up extra opportunity for Charles Harris and Joshua Paschal (lower body) when the season kick offs.
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Lions' Romeo Okwara: Could return for training camp
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Okwara (Achilles) is expected to miss most of the Lions' offseason training program, but he could be ready by the start of training camp, Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press reports.
Detroit's 2020 sack leader ruptured his Achilles on Oct. 3 and underwent surgery shortly thereafter. Okwara has progressed to the point where he "soon" will be running on an underwater treadmill, and he could be available when players put on pads during training camp. The veteran's healthy return in 2022 could go a long way for a Lions pass rush that finished 27th in sack rate this past season.
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Lions' Romeo Okwara: Diagnosed with torn Achilles
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Okwara will miss the remainder of the season after he was diagnosed with a torn Achilles on Monday, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.
The 26-year-old totaled six tackles (three solo) and one sack across the first four games of the season, but he'll now shift his focus toward his lengthy recovery process. Charles Harris and Austin Bryant will likely assume larger roles with Okwara unavailable.
Dan Campbell said Okwara has a potential Achilles injury, Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press reports.
Okwara suffered what was initially diagnosed as an ankle injury during the first half of Sunday's contest. However, it may be more serious than initially thought. If it is indeed an Achilles injury, he would be the second Lion -- Jeff Okudah is also out -- to sustain a season-ending Achilles injury this season. Charles Harris replaced the 26-year-old linebacker during Week 4 and will likely assume a bigger role if Okwara has to miss an extended period.
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Lions' Romeo Okwara: Ruled out for remainder of game
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Okwara (anke) has been ruled out for the remainder of Sunday's contest against the Bears.
The Lions were already without Trey Flowers (shoulder) for the game, and they take another hit to their defensive line with Okwara being ruled out. Charles Harris will likely see an increased role for the remainder of the contest.
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Lions' Romeo Okwara: Switching positions
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Okwara is preparing to play outside linebacker, Tim Twentyman of the Lions' official site reports.
Accounting for 10 of the Lions' 24 sacks in 2020, Okwara was one of the lone Lions players to be statistically productive in Matt Patricia's ineffective defensive scheme. However, since Detroit's team total ranked 26th in the league, new defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn is shaking things up. While Okwara will continue to rush the passer in a traditional defensive end role on passing downs, per Kyle Meinke of MLive.com, Okwara will have added responsibilities in pass coverage in Detroit's base defense. This could mean less pass-rushing snaps for him overall, but an improved defensive scheme could help the 25-year-old make up for it.
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Lions' Romeo Okwara: Re-ups with Detroit
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Okwara is signing a three-year, $39 million contract to stay with the Lions, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.
The Lions have the unique advantage of offering Okwara the opportunity to stay with his brother, 23-year-old defensive end Julian. The elder Okwara has only 20 career sacks, but half of those sacks came last season when he finished as PFF's 39th-ranked edge defender (out of 109 qualified players). He'll turn 26 in June, with he and Trey Flowers projecting as the team's top defensive ends. It isn't clear if new defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn will run a 3-4 or 4-3 base, but any setup should entail plenty of pass-rush snaps for Okwara and Flowers.
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Lions' Romeo Okwara: Headed for free agency
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The Lions chose not to use their franchise tag on Okwara ahead of Tuesday's deadline, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.
Okwara is coming off the first double-digit sack season of his career. In addition to logging 10 sacks in 2020, he recorded 44 tackles (32 solo), one pass breakup, three forced fumbles and one fumble recovery across 16 appearances. Given the abundance of teams in need of pass-rushing help heading into 2021, Okwara looks primed to earn a sizable contract on the open market.
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Lions' Romeo Okwara: Double-digit sacks in 2020
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Okwara recorded 44 tackles, 10 sacks, one pass breakup and three forced fumbles in 2020.
After logging a lowly 1.5 sacks in 2019, Okwara provided plenty of reason to believe his breakout 2018 campaign (7.5 sacks) was no fluke. The Notre Dame product was one of 10 players to notch double-digit sacks in 2020 and he accomplished the feat with very little help around him as the Lions finished near last in the league in most defensive categories, including yards allowed (32nd) and points allowed (32nd). Now an unrestricted free agent, the 25-year-old pass-rusher seems poised for a nice payday this offseason.
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Lions' Romeo Okwara: Notches ninth sack
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Okwara recorded two solo tackles, including a sack, and a forced fumble in Saturday's 47-7 loss to the Buccaneers.
Okwara leads the Lions with nine sacks, and he's tied for 11th in the league in the category. The 25-year-old defensive end could hit double digits in the season finale against the Vikings. Kirk Cousins has been sacked on 7.0 percent of dropbacks this year.
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Lions' Romeo Okwara: Two tackles in win
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Okwara notched two assisted tackles during Sunday's 13-10 win over the Chargers.
Okwara was held without a tackle Week 1, but he wasn't kept off the stat sheet for long. The 24-year-old's lack of consistent weekly tackles makes him a sack-dependent option in IDP formats, and Okwara faces a touch matchup against Philadelphia's stout offensive line Week 3.
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Lions' Romeo Okwara: Inks new extension
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Okwara signed a two-year contract extension with the Lions on Friday, Kyle Meinke of MLive.com reports.
The 23-year-old was outstanding for the Lions last season, racking up 39 tackles (28 solo), seven sacks and one forced fumble in 15 games. Per NFL Network, Okwara's deal will average more than $3.095 million and has incentives built in. The Notre Dame product will likely be a focal point in the defense, as Detroit figures out what it wants to do with fellow defensive end Ezekiel Ansah.
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Lions' Romeo Okwara: Continuing breakout season
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Okwara recorded three tackles and one sack during Sunday's victory over Arizona.
Okwara continues to impress and is now up to 6.5 sacks on the season. His emergence has been great news for a Lions team that is now without injury-prone defensive end Ezekiel Ansah (shoulder). However, Okwara has recorded more than four tackles in just two of 13 games this season and is hard to trust as an IDP asset.
