The Lions will cut ties with the second-longest-tenured player in their history. They released long snapper Don Muhlbach on Tuesday, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero tweets. This will end an 18-season partnership.
First-year Lions HC Dan Campbell, Muhlbach’s teammate from 2006-08, described this as a difficult decision — one that occurs on the long snapper’s 40th birthday. It will halt the specialist’s run of Lions work at 260 games. Muhlbach, whose birthday happened to fall on the date NFL teams had to pare their rosters down to 85 players, had not missed a game since the 2009 season.
Muhlbach is a two-time Pro Bowler who had signed a series of one-year contracts to stay with in Detroit. The Lions’ new regime signed off on another Muhlbach one-year deal in March, but the Campbell- and Brad Holmes-led team will go in a different direction at this position.
Muhlbach’s 260 games with the Lions ranks in the top 10 all time for contests played with a single franchise. His ex-teammate, kicker Jason Hanson, played the most games with one team in NFL history — 327, from 1992-2012. Campbell played with both Muhlbach and Hanson,
No what this is the wrong timeline
detriot legend. props.
Happy Birthday Don.
Death. Taxes. Muhlbach.
“i’ll be muhlbach”
This is not how to end a player like that’s tenure. Not smart football, sure, but still. It’s not like Muhlbach can’t do his job.
Campbell’s “I’m an a$$hole…” is refreshingly honest in this world.
Obviously a 40-year old LS is not the future of the team and they actually drafted one a couple of years ago, but clearly the opportunity was to identify possible solutions each year and pursue once Don said he’s ready to retire. It’s not like you carry multiple LS. It’s a position you don’t pay any attention to until there’s a problem.