After nine seasons in the NFL and playing 68 games with the Bucs, Pat O’Connor has called it a career. The veteran defensive end was expected to feature this season, even though he was coming back after an injury. However, without specifying a cause, O’Connor has walked off into the sunset.

“What a ride it’s been. After 9 incredible years, I think it’s finally time to hang up the cleats,” Pat O’Connor shared on his 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. 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. Thank you to all of the coaches who impacted my career and helped me become a better player and an even better person, both on and off the field. As one chapter closes, another begins. Now it’s time to enter the real world. I’m beyond excited and ready for whatever comes next. Thank you, football, for everything🪳 ✌️”

There was no solid buzz around O’Connor retiring, and he could have played on for this season. That’s what makes this development sudden.

O’Connor played 88 regular-season NFL games during his career. In those games, he made 52 tackles, seven tackles for loss, and 2.5 sacks. He made his name by contributing mostly to special teams.

O’Connor was drafted by the Detroit Lions in 2017 in the seventh round but was released by the team later that year. Tampa Bay signed him to its practice squad a month later. He found a home with the Buccaneers, with whom he won the Super Bowl in 2022. O’Connor ws released by the team in 2023 and returned to the Lions.

Throughout his career, O’Connor has faced the potential of being cut from rosters. More often than not, he found himself on practice squads first before being activated. However, the defensive end never backed down from the challenge.

“You see people thinking that, that they don’t have to do too much more, too little, and then you get cut. I never want to be that guy,” O’Connor told Detroit Football Network’s Justin Rogers in 2025. “I always want to be all feet down running at the wall rather than jogging through, getting cut. If I gave it my all and I get cut, I’m cool. But if I’m bulls—ting, doing the bare minimum and get cut, that’s a problem. I’d rather get cut full force.”

Last season, the Lions put Pat O’Connor on IR for an undisclosed injury, then released him with an injury settlement. O’Connor returned to the Lions’ practice squad in early December. However, he was not promoted back to the active roster.

How do things look for the Detroit Lions at EDGE now?

Pat O’Connor announced his retirement less than two weeks before the Detroit Lions were set to report for training camp on July 28. This might make fans think that the team will face issues without him, but that’s not the case. O’Connor was an important backup player who played an important role when the team suffered a lot of injuries.

However, things stand differently now.

The Lions have a promising depth at EDGE this year, with up-and-coming DE Aidan Hutchinson, DJ Wonnum, Payton Turner, Derrick Moore, and Anthony Lucas. Hutchinson also cracked the Top 10 rankings for his position ahead of the season, sitting at a respectable fifth place.

“Look, we have got some length now,” head coach Dan Campbell said in June. “We have got some guys now, between Wonnum and (Payton) Turner and (Anthony) Lucas, obviously (Derrick) Moore. We have got some length now, we have got some size and length and athletic ability on the perimeter.

“We are big, we are long and so you can’t wait for training camp you know, you just can’t wait. Kacy (Rodgers) is doing a good job with them, and they all have their own little niche, their own knack, and just to watch them fundamentally get a little bit better and work their craft. And then we’ll see what camp looks like, it’ll be good.”