Detroit Lions offensive tackle Dan Skipper announces retirement, says he plans to coach
Detroit Lions offensive tackle Dan Skipper announced on Thursday that he is retiring after nine seasons in the NFL and has his sights set on coaching.
In a social media post, the 31-year-old said, "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."
The Lions have not yet released a statement. Skipper was said to be considering retirement after the 2025 season, along with Taylor Decker. The Lions ended with a 9-8 record and were eliminated from playoff contention.
Skipper, who initially signed with the Dallas Cowboys as an undrafted free agent in 2017, appeared in his first game with the Lions later in Week 8. He signed with other teams, one being the New England Patriots, winning Super Bowl LIII in 2019.
Skipper returned to Detroit and appeared in 16 games with the Lions in 2022 and 11 games in the 2023 season. In 2024, he appeared in all 17 games of the Lions' historic 15-2 record season.
Skipper was at the center of the controversial loss to the Dallas Cowboys in the 2023 season. After offensive tackle Taylor Decker's two-point conversion at the end of the fourth quarter, a referee ruled that Decker did not report as an eligible receiver and that it was Skipper who reported as eligible.
However, Skipper was adamant that the referee mistakenly listed him as eligible, not Decker, resulting in the Lions losing 20-19 to the Cowboys. According to a report from the Detroit Free Press, Skipper told the reporters days after the game that he was signaling in personnel.
Note: The video above originally aired on Jan. 8, 2026.