Romeo Okwara left potentially millions of dollars on the table when he bypassed free agency to stay in Detroit and play with his brother, Julian.
Now, Julian Okwara wants to pay that decision forward by leaving a football legacy with his brother that won’t be easily matched.
“I think that’s something we’re definitely excited for,” Julian Okwara said Thursday. “Just build a legacy, especially two brothers coming off the edge, meeting at the quarterback. Whatever we need to do, make change and make plays out in the backfield. I think that’s definitely something we’re looking forward to.”
Separated by 2½ years, the Okwaras had never played football on the same team until last season, when the Detroit Lions made Julian a third-round pick out of Notre Dame and paired him with Romeo off the edge.
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Romeo had a breakout season with a career-high 10 sacks, and while Julian had just three tackles and missed 10 games because of injuries, the two enjoyed playing together so much that when it came time for Romeo to cash in on his big season he signed a three-year, $39 million deal with the Lions — one that ties him to Detroit until Julian’s rookie contract expires — without so much as testing the open market.
“I mean at the end of the day for me it was a pretty simple decision,” Romeo told reporters this spring. “Being able to play with my brother and, I guess, continue that, what we wanted, our vision we have and what we want to get done in the city of Detroit, that was very important to me. So it was kind of a no-brainer for me and was able to get something done pretty quickly.”
Julian said Thursday the vision he and his brother have is twofold.
He talked of “changing this program around” — the Lions are coming off a 5-11 season and have not had a winning record since Romeo arrived in Detroit in 2018 — and of making life miserable for opposing quarterbacks.
“I definitely see myself getting double-digit sacks and my brother the same thing,” Julian said. “I think that’s something that hasn’t been done with two brothers coming off the edge and just having that excitement of knowing your brother’s on the other end.”
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Brothers playing on the same NFL team is rare, but not unprecedented. Shaquill and Shaquem Griffin played the past three seasons together with the Seattle Seahawks, and Ryan and Matt Kalil were teammates with the Carolina Panthers in 2017-18.
Several sets of siblings also have shined as pass rushers. All-Pros J.J. and T.J. Watt combined for a sibling-record 29 sacks in 2018, and Nick and Joey Bosa had a cumulative five sacks on the same day two years ago.
But neither of those pairs, nor other famous pass-rush siblings like William and Michael Dean Perry or Kris and Cullen Jenkins, have terrorized opponents from the same line.
In Detroit, the Sack Brothers should get a chance to do that this fall.
Romeo is moving to outside linebacker from defensive end in new coordinator Aaron Glenn’s defense, and is expected to man one starting spot opposite Trey Flowers.
Julian will compete with Charles Harris and Austin Bryant for backup snaps at outside linebacker, though the former third-round pick has less of a transition to make after playing both end and linebacker at Notre Dame.
Both Okwaras could see time as hand-down pass rushers, especially in sub packages.
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“I’ve been doing the same thing since my freshman year in college, so I would say I’ve had a pretty good experience doing that,” Julian said. “So whatever they got me doing I think I can do it. Definitely got the confidence that I can go out there and make plays, hands down, standing up, don’t matter.”
What does matter, Julian said, is having the opportunity to do that with his brother.
“It means everything,” he said. “He signed a three-year contract and I’m here for three more years so I’m definitely looking forward to the future and definitely changing this program around. I think that’s something we want to do and everyone’s coming in here with the right mindset and that’s something I think we’ll be definitely looking forward to this season, just changing how everybody looks at Detroit. So I think that’s something we’re definitely excited for.”
Contact Dave Birkett at dbirkett@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @davebirkett.