Only Jason Hanson has played in more NFL games in Detroit Lions history than Don Muhlbach.
For 17 years Muhlbach has been a rock snapping the football, but his historic 17-year NFL career with Detroit has come to end. Lions head coach Dan Campbell announced Muhlbach's release to open his Tuesday press conference.
"Look, I've got the utmost respect for Don," Campbell said. "I played with Don. Seventeen seasons and 260 games, 37th overall all-time games played in this league. He was a pro and even better person. He meant a lot to this organization and always will. He's always represented it well and is an outstanding teammate. I hate it, man. This is the hardest time (trimming the roster), especially with a player like him."
Muhlbach, who earned his nickname as the Nolan Ryan of long snappers for the speed in which he could rifle the ball back to the holder and punter, played all 260 career games with Detroit, the eighth-most games an NFL player has played for a single team in league history.
He entered the top 50 most games played in NFL history Week 4 vs. New Orleans last season. He finishes his career currently tied for the 37th most games played in NFL history (260).
"Don Muhlbach will go down as one of the all-time Detroit Lions greats," Lions principal owner Sheila Ford Hamp said in a statement. "Since joining our team as a free agent in 2004, to earning the respect of his teammates as a team captain, he has represented our organization with class, consistency and true sportsmanship. His 260 career games played, the second-most in team history behind only Jason Hanson, illustrate the dedication to his craft he has displayed over the course of his 17 seasons. Only 36 players in the history of the National Football League have played in more games than Don, and we are proud to call him a Lion for life.
"Away from the field, Don has been the consummate leader. Often assisting behind the scenes with the planning and execution of team philanthropic initiatives, Don's passion for making a difference in our city has been evident since the day he set foot in Detroit. We are grateful to have had the opportunity to be a part of his family, and we wish him, his wife, Alix, and their three children, Addison, Jack and Avery, the very best in the future. We are so thankful for everything Don has given to our organization."
View photos from long snapper Don Muhlbach's 17 seasons in Detroit.
Detroit Lions longsnapper Don Muhlbach (48) during an NFL football game against the Chicago Bears on Sunday, Dec. 6, 2020 in Chicago, IL. The Lions defeated the Bears 34-30. (Detroit Lions via AP).
Detroit Lions longsnapper Don Muhlbach (48) during a NFL football game against the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday, Nov. 8, 2020 in Minneapolis, MN. (Detroit Lions via AP).
Detroit Lions longsnapper Don Muhlbach (48) during an NFL football game against the Tennessee Titans on Sunday, Dec. 20, 2020 in Nashville, TN. (Detroit Lions via AP).
Detroit Lions long snapper Don Muhlbach (48) during a NFL football game against the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday, Oct. 28, 2018 in Detroit. (Detroit Lions via AP).
Detroit Lions long snapper Don Muhlbach (48) during a NFL football game against the Chicago Bears on Sunday, Nov. 11, 2018 in Chicago. (Detroit Lions via AP).
Detroit Lions longsnapper Don Muhlbach (48) during an NFL football game against the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday, Nov. 1, 2020 in Detroit. The Colts defeated the Lions 41-21. (Detroit Lions via AP).
Detroit Lions long snapper Don Muhlbach (48) during a NFL football game against the Chicago Bears Thursday, Nov. 28, 2019 in Detroit. (Detroit Lions via AP).
Detroit Lions long snapper Don Muhlbach (48)
Detroit Lions long snapper Don Muhlbach (48) during a NFL Wild Card playoff football game against the Seattle Seahawks on Saturday, Jan. 7, 2017 in Seattle. (Detroit Lions via AP)
Detroit Lions long snapper Don Muhlbach (48) warms up before the Pro Bowl on Sunday, Jan. 27, 2019 in Orlando, Fla. (Detroit Lions via AP)
Detroit Lions long snapper Don Muhlbach (48) during the National Anthem before a NFL football game against the Minnesota Vikings Sunday, Dec. 8, 2019 in Minneapolis. (Detroit Lions via AP).
Detroit Lions long snapper Don Muhlbach (48) on special teams during a NFL football game against the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday Oct. 1, 2017 in Minneapolis. (Detroit Lions via AP).
Detroit Lions long snapper Don Muhlbach (48)
Detroit Lions long snapper Don Muhlbach (48)
Detroit Lions long snapper Don Muhlbach (48)
Detroit Lions long snapper Don Muhlbach (48)
Detroit Lions long snapper Don Muhlbach (48)
Detroit Lions long snapper Don Muhlbach (48) meets with families from Tragedy Assistance Program For Survivors (TAPS) after the team's walkthrough at the Detroit Lions training facility on Saturday, Nov. 17, 2018 in Allen Park, Mich. (Detroit Lions via AP)
Detroit Lions long snapper Don Muhlbach (48)
Detroit Lions long snapper Don Muhlbach (48) during a NFL football game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday Dec. 10, 2017 in Tampa, Fla. (Detroit Lions via AP).
Detroit Lions long snapper Don Muhlbach (48)
Detroit Lions long snapper Don Muhlbach (48)
Detroit Lions long snapper Don Muhlbach (48)
Detroit Lions long snapper Don Muhlbach (48)
Detroit Lions long snapper Don Muhlbach (48)
Detroit Lions long snapper Don Muhlbach (48)
Detroit Lions long snapper Don Muhlbach (48)
Detroit Lions longsnapper Don Muhlbach (48) during a NFL football game against the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday, Oct. 18, 2020 in Jacksonville, FL. (Detroit Lions via AP).
Detroit Lions long snapper Don Muhlbach (48) during a NFL football game against the Buffalo Bills on Sunday, Dec. 16, 2018 in Orchard Park, N.Y. (Detroit Lions via AP).
Detroit Lions long snapper Don Muhlbach (48) at Pro Bowl practice on Wednesday, Jan. 23, 2019 in Orlando, Fla. (Detroit Lions via AP)
Detroit Lions long snapper Don Muhlbach (48) heads to midfield for the coin toss before a NFL football game against the Houston Texans on Saturday, Aug. 17, 2019 in Houston. (Detroit Lions via AP).
Detroit Lions long snapper Don Muhlbach (48) at Pro Bowl practice on Friday, Jan. 25, 2019 in Orlando, Fla. (Detroit Lions via AP)
Detroit Lions longsnapper Don Muhlbach (48) during a NFL football preseason game against the Buffalo Bills on Friday, August 13, 2021 in Detroit, MI. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions).
Detroit Lions longsnapper Don Muhlbach (48) during a NFL football game against the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday, Oct. 18, 2020 in Jacksonville, FL. (Detroit Lions via AP).
Detroit Lions longsnapper Don Muhlbach (48) during training camp practice at Ford Field in Detroit, MI on September 2, 2020. (Josh Mandujano/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions longsnapper Don Muhlbach (48) during an NFL football game against the New Orleans Saints on Sunday, Oct. 4, 2020 in Detroit, MI. The Saints defeated the Lions 35-29. (Detroit Lions via AP).
Detroit Lions longsnapper Don Muhlbach (48) during an NFL football game against the New Orleans Saints on Sunday, Oct. 4, 2020 in Detroit, MI. The Saints defeated the Lions 35-29. (Detroit Lions via AP).
Detroit Lions longsnapper Don Muhlbach (48) during a NFL football game against the New Orleans Saints on Sunday, Oct. 4, 2020 in Detroit. (Detroit Lions via AP).
Detroit Lions longsnapper Don Muhlbach (48) during an NFL football game against the New Orleans Saints on Sunday, Oct. 4, 2020 in Detroit, MI. The Saints defeated the Lions 35-29. (Detroit Lions via AP).
Detroit Lions tight end Jesse James (83) Detroit Lions offensive lineman Oday Aboushi (76) Detroit Lions longsnapper Don Muhlbach (48) Detroit Lions punter Jack Fox (3) Detroit Lions offensive lineman Tyrell Crosby (65) Detroit Lions tackle Halapoulivaati Vaitai (72) Detroit Lions offensive lineman Jonah Jackson (73) during a NFL football game against the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday, Oct. 25, 2020 in Atlanta, GA. The Lions defeated the Falcons 23-22. (Detroit Lions via AP).
Muhlbach first signed with the Lions in 2004, and has gone on to become only the second player (Hanson) in team history to appear in 16 seasons for the club.
He has snapped for 15 game-winning field goals and five game-winning extra points in his career. In his 16 years snapping for punts, only one of those has been blocked.
By playing all 16 games in 2019, Muhlbach appeared in every game from the 2010s decade. He became the first player in franchise history to appear in all 160 games in any given decade.
The long snapper duties now look to be in Scott Daly's hands, who spent an offseason with Dallas in 2018 and also played in the AAF and XFL before signing with Detroit in May.
