Second-year OT Gio Manu also was competing for the swing tackle job in training camp
Not even cult heroes are safe on cut day.
The Detroit Lions informed backup offensive tackle Dan Skipper he will be released at the NFL's roster deadline at 4 p.m. Tuesday, the Detroit Football Network reported.
Skipper played as the Lions' swing tackle most of the past three seasons and was a fan favorite who bounced around the league for a half a decade before finding a role in Detroit.
In 2023, he was at the center of a controversial late-season call in a loss to the Dallas Cowboys, when Taylor Decker appeared to catch the go-ahead two-point conversion with 23 seconds to play only to have the pass overturned by penalty.
Offiicals erred in announcing Skipper as an eligible receiver on the play. Skipper signaled a personnel grouping as he ran on the field but never reported as eligible.
Skipper, who turns 31 next month, took some first-teams reps at left tackle this summer while Taylor Decker was rehabbing from offseason shoulder surgery. He struggled at times in training camp, especially when going against Aidan Hutchinson, but his release was somewhat unexpected by observers.
Jamarco Jones, who missed time with multiple injuries this summer, also was competing for the swing tackle job after playing in two games off the practice squad last season, and second-year tackle Gio Manu had a choppy camp and remains a developmental prospect.
The Lions did not file any transactions with the NFL on Monday and have until 4 p.m. Tuesday to finalize their initial 53-man roster.
Dave Birkett covers the Lions for the Detroit Free Press. Contact him at [email protected]. Follow him on Bluesky, X and Instagram at @davebirkett.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Lions to cut cult hero Dan Skipper from offensive line
Category: Football
