The Detroit Lions will look a little different next season on the field, but that doesn't mean they won't be on the sidelines helping the team. Longtime offensive linemen Dan Skipper announced his retirement after the season, but he'll be on the staff, according to Ari Meirov of The33rdTeamFB.
“The Lions have officially hired former OT Dan Skipper as an offensive assistant on Dan Campbell’s coaching staff,” Meirov wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
That's good news for the Lions, as they'll have some familiarity with someone on the staff that they've played with. The Lions have always had one of the better offensive lines in the league over the past few seasons, and it was with the help of Skipper. Now, he'll be on the sidelines, seeing things from another view to help the group.
Near the end of January, Skipper announced his retirement on Instagram.
“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. “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!).”
Skipper played most of his time with the Lions, but he did have a three-game stint with the Houston Texans in 2019. He didn't get real playing time as a starter until around 2022, which is where he was key for the Lions and their several playoff runs. Skipper ended his career with 69 game appearances and 16 career starts.
The Lions will be looking to bounce back after a rough season last year, and they have enough talent on the roster to do so.
