The Detroit Lions and veteran defensive lineman Michael Brockers have mutually decided to part ways.
Brockers tenure in Motown coming to an end does not come as a surprise, as his play on the field diminished compared to his time with the Los Angeles Rams.
As a result of low productivity in the first half of the season, the coaching staff decided to bench the 11-year National Football League veteran for the majority of the second half of the season.
In 2022, the 32-year-old recorded four tackles in six appearances.
It is expected the move will be finalized on Friday, saving the Lions $10 million in salary-cap space. Prior to his release, the team had approximately $16 million in funds available heading into free agency.
Head coach Dan Campbell explained the decision to limit Brockers playing time was made to give John Cominsky and Josh Paschal their opportunity to earn more playing time along the defensive line.
“He provides a tremendous amount of leadership to us, and he’s helped that room in multiple areas,” head coach Dan Campbell explained. “Just from where we’re at right now, we felt like once we got Cominsky and Paschal back with where it is, that was the right lineup for us.”
The defensive captain had an opportunity following the conclusion of the Lions 2022 season to attend the Super Bowl and penned his thoughts about covering a global event.
"I did not expect how nerve-wracking being on the other side of interviews would be," Brockers wrote. "Going into this whole media frenzy I thought it was going to be a breeze, but I didn’t calculate the magnitude the Super Bowl had on the world.
"I had no clue of what the journalists and writers had to go through until now," Brockers continued. "Being in the NFL, I pride myself on presenting very well in front of the camera and the media, but I felt like a fish out of water being on the other side of things. I know what has to be said from players to get through interviews and it was kinda awkward hearing those same statements I use given to me."
While his future plans regarding his playing future are unclear, Brockers has shown an interesting in broadcasting, podcasting and being involved in the media world.
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