Former Detroit Lions defensive lineman Pat O'Connor has called it a career after nine NFL seasons, announcing his retirement Thursday in an Instagram post.
O'Connor, who entered the league as a 2017 seventh-round pick out of Eastern Michigan by the Lions, reflected on a career that took him from draft day to a Super Bowl ring and through stops with just two franchises. In his post, he wrote: "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," O'Connor wrote on Instagram.
"But here we are." I want to thank all of my teammates and friends I met along the way.
There are far too many to name, so I won’t-but you know who you are. Thank you for the memories, the friendships, and everything in between."
Detroit released O'Connor before his rookie season during roster cuts, but the 6-foot-4, 300 pound lineman quickly found a home with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He started on their practice squad and ultimately appeared in 68 games for Tampa Bay.
His NFL journey came full circle with the Lions, where he spent his final two seasons. O'Connor was signed from Detroit's practice squad to the active roster in 2024 after Aidan Hutchinson was injured, and he went on to play in 20 games and make three starts across the 2024 and 2025 seasons.
During that two-year stretch with Detroit, O'Connor recorded 28 tackles, two tackles for loss, one sack and one pass defended. Over his full career, he finished with 52 tackles, seven tackles for loss, six quarterback hits, 2.5 sacks, one pass defended and one safety.
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