Getty Dan Campbell walks off the field following the team's preseason game in July 2021.
Dan Campbell has been one of the most quotable coaches the Detroit Lions have had in a long time, and continues to impress with his genuine, honest approach on and off the field.
The Lions revealed on Tuesday, August 17 they were cutting their longest-tenured player in long snapper Don Muhlbach. Unfortunately, the move played out on Muhlbach’s 40th birthday, which led to some very strong emotional fan opinions about the timing of the release.
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Interestingly enough, Campbell himself felt no differently about what happened. Speaking before practice on Thursday, August 19, Campbell was asked by the media about the move to release Muhlbach on his birthday, and immediately took complete ownership of the decision.
“There’s no way to sugarcoat that. I’m an a******. That’s about the best way to put it, and I hate it. There was no way around it really. Yeah, you could say there is but ultimately, that falls on me and it’s my fault. Don (Muhlbach’s) a hell of a dude. It sucks, but it is what it is,” Campbell said.
As Campbell explained, he believes timing was the enemy of the Lions all along with the decision considering all the roster moves the team had to make in a short period of time, but in his mind, that didn’t excuse what happened, either.
“There were a number of moves, like with Nick (Williams) that was coming down the wire to get him back from COVID-reserve, the linebacker, the quarterback because of where we were at there. Once again, it’s put in a strain and you’re looking for that spot and unfortunately, it had to be on his birthday and it stinks,” Campbell admitted.
It’s admirable for Campbell to take the entire fall for what played out, but reality says that it was a team decision that had a lot of moving parts. Still, to see Campbell accept the heat shows he is prepared for the job as head coach. Lots of the job description for a team’s boss revolves around taking the fall for multiple situations, some of which may be outside of one’s control.
Lions Ownership Sends Classy Goodbye Statement to Don Muhlbach
The Lions proved how much Muhlbach meant to them when after the release, team owner Sheila Ford Hamp quickly released a statement that highlighted not only Muhlbach’s career accomplishments, but what he has meant to the franchise as a whole as well.
#Lions have released LS Don Muhlbach.
Statement from Lions Principal Owner and Chair Sheila Ford Hamp ⬇️
The statement read:
“Don Muhlbach will go down as one of the all-time Detroit Lions greats. Since joining our team as a free agent in 2004, to earning the respect of his teammates as a team captain, he has represented our organization with class, consistency and true sportsmanship. His 260 career games played, the second-most in history only behind Jason Hanson, illustrate the dedication to his craft he has displayed over the course of his 17 seasons. Only 36 players in the history of the National Football League have played in more games than Don, and we are proud to call him a Lion for life.
Away from the field, Don has been the consummate leader. Often assisting behind the scenes with the planning and execution of team philanthropic initiatives, Don’s passion for making a difference in our city has been evident since the day he set foot in Detroit. We are grateful to have had the opportunity to be a part of his family, and we wish him, his wife Alix, and their three children Addison, Jack and Avery, the very best in the future. We are so thankful for everything Don has given to our organization.”
Hearing Campbell’s words and also seeing the Detroit tribute from the organization points to what a difficult move the team had to make in slicing Muhlbach from the roster this year.
Campbell Credited Muhlbach for Being ‘Outstanding Teammate’
When the news about the release was first revealed to the media at a press conference on Tuesday, August 17 posted to DetroitLions.com, Dan Campbell spoke in somber tones about Muhlbach right off the bat, a player that he played with in the league.
“I got the utmost respect for Don (Muhlbach), I played with Don. 17 seasons, 260 games. 37th overall all-time games played in this league. Dude’s a pro. He’s an even better person. He meant a lot to this organization, always will. He always represented it well. Outstanding teammate. Always locked in. Man of his word. I hate it, man. This is the hardest time, especially with a player like him,” Campbell said.
When asked to explain the move after it happened, Campbell said the decision was reached because it was time.
“The best way to put it is, it was time. It was time,” Campbell told the media. “As I told the guys out there, as weird as this sounds, this doesn’t mean that he was beaten out. (Scott) Daly’s here and he still has to compete for a job and he knows that as does everybody else on this roster. But it was time. I wish him the best, he and his family, and he’s a stud. And I hate we had to be the ones to do this.”
Detroit will now have to break in a new snapper, and little-known Scott Daly will be given the first crack at taking Muhlbach’s job in the Motor City. Daly, out of Notre Dame in 2017, was in camp with the Dallas Cowboys in 2018 and played a few years in the AAF and XFL before being signed by the Lions this past May.
Though the team will now be moving on, Campbell still wanted to leave no doubt who he believes is to blame for how things played out with Muhlbach’s release.
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