In a significant roster and financial development for the Detroit Lions, the contracts of defensive tackle Levi Onwuzurike and defensive end Josh Paschal have been extended into the 2026 season due to a specific clause in the NFL’s Collective Bargaining Agreement. This news, confirmed and analyzed by multiple outlets on February 2, 2026, directly impacts the team’s offseason salary cap planning and defensive line depth.
The triggering mechanism is Article 20, Section 2 of the CBA, known as the “contract tolling” provision. This rule states that if a player spends an entire season on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list or injured reserve, his contract does not expire but instead “tolls,” or rolls over, for an additional year. Both Onwuzurike and Paschal fell under this exact scenario for the 2025 season.
Levi Onwuzurike’s Situation Defensive tackle Levi Onwuzurike, who was entering his fifth-year option season in 2025, signed a one-year deal with the Lions during the 2025 offseason. However, he suffered a significant injury before the season began and was placed on season-ending injured reserve. Having never activated for a 2025 game, his contract has now tolled. Consequently, Onwuzurike will remain under contract with the Lions for the 2026 season at the terms of his 2025 deal. This provides the team with continued depth at the defensive tackle position but also adds his salary to the 2026 cap sheet.
Josh Paschal’s Parallel Path Defensive end Josh Paschal, a key rotational piece on the edge, found himself in a similar circumstance. While specific details of his injury were not reiterated in the latest reports, he also spent the entirety of the 2025 season on a reserve list (PUP or IR), fulfilling the tolling criteria. Like Onwuzurike, Paschal’s contract has been extended through the 2026 campaign. This ensures the Lions retain a known commodity in their pass rush rotation but, again, with associated cap implications.
Impact on 2026 Roster and Salary Cap This contract tolling is a double-edged sword for General Manager Brad Holmes and the Lions’ front office. On one hand, it retains two players familiar with the defensive system without requiring a new negotiation or dip into free agency. On the other hand, it contributes to the team’s perceived “cap hell” for the 2026 offseason, a topic of extensive analysis published on February 2. The salaries for Onwuzurike and Paschal, which were initially slated to come off the books, will now count against the 2026 cap, reducing flexibility for signing external free agents or extending other key players.
The rule is designed to protect teams from losing a player to injury just as his contract expires, but it also limits a player’s ability to reach free agency after a lost season. For Onwuzurike and Paschal, their focus will now shift to rehabilitating their injuries to be fully ready for the 2026 season, where they will be competing for roles on a defensive line looking to improve.
This nuanced CBA ruling underscores the complex planning involved in NFL roster construction. As the Lions prepare for the 2026 league year, accounting for the now-guaranteed presence and cap hits of Onwuzurike and Paschal will be a critical first step in their financial and strategic calculations.