Former Lions draft pick Pat O'Connor retires after 9 years
Former Lions draft pick Pat O'Connor — often found online as pat connor — has announced his retirement after nine NFL seasons. The 32-year-old defensive lineman shared the news Thursday on Instagram, closing a career that began with Detroit, peaked with a Super Bowl win in Tampa Bay, and ended back with the Lions.
Key Takeaways
- Pat O'Connor announced his NFL retirement Thursday in an Instagram post after nine seasons.
- Detroit selected him in the seventh round of the 2017 draft before he built his career with Tampa Bay.
- He won a Super Bowl with the Buccaneers, then returned to the Lions for his final two seasons.
- Career line: 88 games, three starts, 52 tackles, 2.5 sacks, and seven tackles for loss.
Who is Pat O'Connor and what did he announce?
O'Connor, a defensive lineman, said it is time to hang up the cleats after beating long odds to stick in the league. NBC Sports reported he entered the NFL as a Lions seventh-round pick in 2017, was released, then landed with the Buccaneers and played 68 games there.
That Tampa Bay stretch included a Super Bowl title. He later rejoined Detroit for 2024 and 2025, finishing his career with the franchise that drafted him.
Why does this retirement matter for Lions fans?
The story is a full-circle arc for Detroit supporters: a late-round pick who never made the Lions' initial 53-man roster, found a home in Tampa Bay, then returned home to close out his career. Pride of Detroit noted he saw more defensive work in those final seasons—236 snaps in 2024 and 106 in 2025—than earlier in his path, which leaned heavily on special teams.
Across nine seasons with just two teams, he totaled 88 regular-season games and also recorded two tackles in seven playoff appearances. For fans who followed every roster shuffle, the announcement confirms the end of a quiet but durable depth role rather than a headline star exit.
What did O'Connor say about hanging up the cleats?
"After 9 incredible years, I think it's finally time to hang up the cleats," O'Connor wrote on Instagram. "If you had told my younger self that I'd play this long, spend my entire career with just two teams, get drafted, and win a Super Bowl, he would have called you crazy. But here we are."
He thanked teammates, coaches, and people who shaped his journey on and off the field. "As one chapter closes, another begins," he added. "Now it's time to enter the real world. I'm beyond excited and ready for whatever comes next. Thank you, football, for everything."
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