Former Lions, Bucs defensive lineman Pat O'Connor retires from NFL

Pat O'Connor, a nine-year veteran who helped the Buccaneers win Super Bowl 55, is calling it a wrap on his NFL career.

Former Detroit Lions and Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive end Pat O'Connor announced his retirement from the NFL on July 16. O'Connor, 32, spent nine seasons in the NFL after entering the league as a seventh-round draft pick out of Eastern Michigan in 2017. The Lions released him in September of his rookie season, however, and he latched on with the Buccaneers.

He played seven seasons as a backup in Tampa, helping the franchise win Super Bowl 55. O'Connor rejoined the Lions for the last two seasons. In 2025, he notched three starts – the first of his career – while filling in for an injury-ravaged front.

He finished with 52 tackles and 2 1/2 sacks in his career. "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."