Getty Don Muhlbach during a game with the Lions.
The Detroit Lions have few players as revered as long snapper Don Muhlbach. Ever since 2004, the snapper has been a rock along the team’s front, and that will continue another year into 2020.
Saturday, the Lions got some business done within their own house, bringing back Muhlbach on a contract. Nearly every year, the veteran has returned when he wants to, and though the Lions tried to replace him back in 2016 with a draft pick in Baylor snapper Jimmy Landes, he has remained strong and continues to hold down the position that he has made home for seemingly ever.
Muhlbach has committed to yet another season and has re-signed in Detroit for 2020, the team revealed.
The Lions have re-signed LS Don Muhlbach. #OnePride
Muhlbach has been approaching the last few years on a case by case basis, choosing to re-sign in the offseason only after taking some time away to ponder but clearly, the Lions wanted to make sure they could bring back one of the bedrocks of their teams if he was open to a return.
Obviously, Muhlbach wants to give it another go for the Lions on the field this coming season.
Don Muhlbach Biography
The former Texas A&M product broke into. the league as an undrafted free agent in 2004. Though he started his career with the Baltimore Ravens, he has been the Detroit snapper ever since and has seen plenty along the way, both good and bad. He witnessed the Lions go 0-16 in 2008, but then was there as they returned to the playoffs in 2011, 2014 and 2017. While he’s never won a title or an NFC North, the rally cry for the team could become win one for Muhlbach these next few years if he continues to stick it out on the field for the team.
Muhlbach has been a Pro Bowler a pair of times in his career, in 2012 and 2018. He’s also been the team’s nominee for the Art Rooney Award before, which shows the class that Muhlbach has on the field and the respect he has across the league for what he does.
Lions Cap Space in 2020
Detroit will have a decent chunk of change to spend this offseason, having restructured Matthew Stafford’s deal to push their cap space to around $50 million dollars for the coming season. With this money, the money saved from releasing Damon Harrison and the $9 million from releasing Rick Wagner, the Lions have a bit more to spend.
Muhlbach won’t count much against the cap for the Lions, as he has a pretty stable salary year to year which is the good news. The Lions could always open up more space with a few more savvy moves, and there could be other cap casualties that might impact the team’s final salary number more dramatically.
Either way, the choice has now been made for the Lions to bring back one of their key linemen for 2020, and it’s safe to say that Lions fans will not be disappointed with the call given how beloved he is.