Beloved Lions OL Dan Skipper announces retirement from NFL - ESPN

DETROIT — Beloved Detroit Lions offensive lineman Dan Skipper announced his NFL retirement Thursday afternoon through his Instagram account.

Skipper went from an undrafted journeyman lineman to a cult hero in Detroit as a sixth lineman, even scoring a nine-yard touchdown reception in 2024 against the Buffalo Bills. He joined Taylor Decker and Scott Conover as the only offensive linemen in Lions history to produce a touchdown reception.

A coaching career could be on the horizon, Skipper said in his post.

«24 years of putting on pads and a helmet every fall. This year I'll trade that out to pursue a career on the other side in coaching,» Skipper wrote on Instagram. «The memories and experiences that the NFL has brought me and my family are hard to put into words. Thankful for every person that has been apart of my journey.

»It's time for me to 'report' as retired. (Sorry I had to do it one last time!)"

A post shared by Dan Skipper (@bigskippy70)

A source told ESPN's Adam Schefter on Thursday that Skipper is volunteering as an offensive line coach for this year's East-West Shrine Bowl. Skipper will be working with the East team.

The 31-year-old logged nine seasons in the NFL after being signed by the Dallas Cowboys as an undrafted free agent in 2017. In addition to his practice squad stint in Dallas, he also appeared in games with the Lions and Houston Texans over his career.

Skipper had admitted that he was considering retirement, due to back issues, following Detroit's 19-16 win over Chicago in the regular season finale, as he shed tears during his postgame media availability with reporters.

The fans in Detroit would cheer for Skipper every time he reported as eligible as the Lions' sixth offensive lineman for their