Detroit Lions offensive tackle Dan Skipper announced on Thursday his retirement from the NFL. In a post on Instagram, Skipper called it a career after playing the game he’s loved for two dozen years. Here’s his message:
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.
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!)
Skipper has become a bit of a cult-favorite among Lions fans. He’s been on and off the Lions’ roster since entering the league in 2017. And while he’s never been a full-time starter for the team, he’s often been the first offensive tackle off the bench, and in recent years, he’s found a role as a jumbo-package tight end. He started 16 games across 69 total game appearances.
Of course, he’ll forever be most known for the controversial ending to the Lions vs. Cowboys game in 2023. The Lions ran a trick play on a potential game-winning two-point conversion—a pass to left tackle Taylor Decker. However, officials negated the successful play, thinking that Dan Skipper had reported as eligible on the play, when it was clear it was actually Decker. Detroit was penalized and ultimately lost the game.
After the end of the 2025 season, Skipper noted that he was considering retirement due to a lingering back injury.
But maybe this isn’t the end for Dan Skipper and the Lions. As he said at the top of his retirement statement, it appears he’ll pursue a football career in coaching. At this point, it isn’t clear what rank of football he’s considering, but it certainly wouldn’t be surprising if he wanted to stay in Detroit.
It appears Skipper already has his first assignment in coaching:
See More:
