With this week’s surprising release of longtime long snapper Don Muhlbach, the Detroit Lions got decidedly less experienced. In fact, Muhlbach’s departure leaves no remaining traces of the Matt Millen or even Martin Mayhew eras.
Muhlbach had been with the Lions since 2004. Now the longest-tenured member of the team is Taylor Decker. The left tackle was Detroit’s first-round pick in the 2016 NFL draft, the first-ever selection by Bob Quinn as the team’s GM. None of the free agents signed by Quinn that offseason remain in Detroit, so Decker earns the honor of being the longest-tenured Lion.
Decker is entering his sixth season in Detroit, but that gives him a full year on the next-longest Lion: linebacker Jalen Reeves-Maybin. Offensive tackle Dan Skipper and tight end Darren Fells were both on the 2017 Lions, but they’ve been on other rosters (including a year together in Houston) since that season.
Muhlbach’s departure ends any Lions legacy players from before 2016. Based on the team’s history, that’s probably a good thing.
