Lions OL Dan Skipper Announces Retirement

Lions offensive lineman Dan Skipper announced his retirement via Instagram on Thursday.

The 31-year-old spent time with seven different teams in his seven-year career, though he is best known for his time in Detroit. He signed with the Cowboys as an undrafted free agent out of Arkansas in 2017, but eventually made his way to Detroit for his NFL debut later that year. Skipper spent time with the Broncos and Patriots over the next two seasons before seeing his next regular-season action with the Texans in 2019.

Skipper returned to Detroit in 2019 where he would spend the rest of his career aside from brief stints with the Raiders and Colts. In 2022, he made his first start at left guard; he would go on to start five games that year, all at guard, a position he had not played in the NFL. Skipper then served as the Lions’ swing tackle from 2023 to 2025 with 10 starts at left tackle in the last two years.

The Lions also introduced Skipper’s now-signature role as the Lions’ sixth offensive linemen in 2022. Then-offensive coordinator Ben Johnson would frequently roll out ‘jumbo’ packages which would typically feature Skipper as an extra blocker. He would occasionally run a route and caught two passes, including a touchdown in 2023. The strategy often confused the defense and sometimes the referees. It also made Skipper beloved among Lions fans.

Injuries were a factor in Skipper’s decision, according to Justin Rogers of the Detroit Football Network. He will now move into coaching and already has his first gig set up as the offensive line and tight ends coach for the East/West Shrine Bowl next week.

At 6-foot-10, Skipper was also the NFL’s tallest active player. That title is now passed to a number of players who all stand at 6-foot-8.