Getty Romeo Okwara celebrates a big play for the Lions.
The Detroit Lions have been hampered by injuries most of the season, but perhaps the most impactful that they have dealt with involved a lingering recovery from 2021.
Defensive end Romeo Okwara has been sidelined as he recovers from an ACL injury sustained last year. While some players can make quick work of such a recovery, it’s taken Okwara a little bit longer to come back.
Okwara, however, is another Lions player that is going to be returning to the field in the coming weeks. It was revealed on Wednesday, November 16 by the team and DetroitLions.com reporter Tim Twentyman that Okwara’s window to return to practice had been opened.
Romeo Okwara’s practice clock is starting today too
“Romeo Okwara’s practice clock is starting today too,” Twentyman tweeted.
Okwara hasn’t so much as been seen this season, so the fact that the Lions could get him back healthy for the stretch run of the year could prove big. Detroit has just 15 total sacks to their credit, so Okwara could certainly boost their defensive front.
In the coming weeks, Okwara will have to prove that he can come back healthy. When he does, he could provide a huge boost to the Detroit defense and pass rush outfit.
Okwara Didn’t Make Fast Injury Progress
In the case of ACL injuries, it’s more important to get things right instead of have them happen fast. Given Okwara’s longer recovery, it’s clear that the defender was spending time getting himself right.
Okwara was thought to be close to a return earlier this offseason, and many folks were frustrated when he started training camp on the PUP list. From there, Okwara was put on injured reserve, and not much had been said about him or his recovery until this point.
It sounded as if Okwara was ready to come back and has been doing good in his recovery, but it didn’t play out through the first half of the season, leaving some to be worried about him.
With this news, it’s clear that Okwara is ready to start charting a course for his comeback.
Okwara Return Vital for Lions’ Defense
If there is one player that has hurt the Lions the most by being out, it’s Okwara. The veteran is one of the better rising pass rushers on the team and a key part of the plan moving forward.
After the Lions signed Okwara off the waiver wire, he immediately proved to be a find, posting 20 sacks with the team over the last four seasons entering into 2021. Better than that, Okwara has proven to be the one example of a consistent pass rush that the Lions have seen.
Signing Okwara to a multi-year deal was the first big move general manager Brad Holmes made after taking office. That shows what a major part of the plan the team thinks he can be.
Without Okwara, the team has struggled to rush the passer in a big way. Rookie Aidan Hutchinson leads the team with 5.5 sacks so far, and the Lions have not been able to consistently press the pocket.
The hope is that with Okwara back in the fold, the Lions can take some steps toward getting their edge back up front. At the very least, it’s some positive injury news for the team.