Following the Detroit Lions‘ season finale earlier this month against the Chicago Bears, OT Dan Skipper admitted that he may have reached the end of his NFL journey but hadn’t yet officially decided his future plans.
That decision has now been made.
Skipper announced on Instagram that he is retiring from the NFL, and also expressed an interest in delving into the world of coaching.
“[Twenty-four] years of putting on pads and a helmet every fall,” Skipper wrote on Instagram. “This year, I’ll trade that out to pursue a career on the other side in coaching. 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 a part of my journey. It’s time for me to ‘report’ as retired (Sorry, I had to do it one last time!).”
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Detroit Lions OT Dan Skipper’s NFL Journey Has Officially Reached An End
Skipper entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent with the Dallas Cowboys in 2017, before later being signed to the Lions’ practice squad.
He subsequently spent time on the practice squads of the Denver Broncos, New England Patriots, and Houston Texans before making his return to Detroit for a second stint in 2019.
Skipper, who just wrapped up his fourth stint as a member of the Lions, he has also logged time on the practice squads of the Las Vegas Raiders and Indianapolis Colts.
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Dan Skipper Hinted At Retirement After Lions’ Season Finale Against Bears
Fighting back tears following Detroit’s season finale against the Chicago Bears, Skipper hinted that retirement could be on the horizon for him.
“This may be the last one,” he said.
Skipper then expressed an appreciation for his time with the Lions, which even included his sons learning the team’s fight song that is sung following every touchdown and win.
“I’ll never forget when I was in Dallas, one of the pro scouts was like, ‘Man, you got a chance to play 10 years,’ and I didn’t even see it at that point,” Skipper said. “So, finding a way to stick around and stick in and finding a home, and guys that appreciate you, a place to take you in and go and it’s just, yeah, I mean, (Detroit is) a special place. It’ll always hold a place in our heart. We had a kid born here and my boys know the damn fight song.”
Skipper said that going through several intense surgeries would likely play a role in his decision, which they ultimately did.
“You start getting some pretty intense surgeries – I’m old, tall,” he said. “So, we’ll see what happens.”
“You just give it everything you got each week and some weeks are all right and some weeks you can’t [bleeping] move,” he continued. “It just felt like as it went on, I started not being able to move. And it’s frustrating and it’s hard and I feel like stuff that you have been able to do for a long time, you can’t anymore. It sucks. But it’s just part of the aging process of being here and being hurt and everything else. But yeah, it’s sure definitely special for a lot of reasons but I owe a lot to the training staff and all that.”
At 6’10”, Skipper had been the tallest player in the NFL. Across 69 total appearances, he started in 16 games.
Detroit Lions OT Dan Skipper Officially Announces His Future Plans