The Detroit Lions made a big change with their coaching staff after a disappointing 2025 season.
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After winning the NFC North during the 2023 and 2024 seasons, Detroit missed the playoffs with a 9-8 record.
Lions head coach Dan Campbell fired offensive coordinator John Morton. Campbell replaced Morton with Drew Pretzing.
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Detroit is adding another assistant with ties to the team during the offseason.
Per Rachel Hopmayer of CBS Detroit, Dan Skipper is set to join the Lions coaching staff weeks after the offensive lineman retired from the league as a player.
“Good morning: Lions fan favorite and recently retired OL Dan Skipper has been hired to Detroit's coaching staff,” Hopmayer posted on X. “He'll be molding the next jumbo TEs in no time.”
Skipper entered the league as an undrafted free agent with the Dallas Cowboys in 2017.
The former Arkansas athlete played with the Lions in 2017 and returned to the team for the 2019 and 2020 seasons. He finished his final three NFL seasons with the Lions.
On Jan. 22, Skipper announced he was retiring from playing via his Instagram account.
“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 apart of my journey.
“It’s time for me to ‘report’ as retired. (Sorry I had to do it one last time!)”
Per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Skipper volunteered to be an offensive line coach for the East-West Shrine Bowl for the East Team.
Skipper, 31, is a native of Arvada, Colorado. He won Super Bowl LIII as a member of the New England Patriots.
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