​After nine years in the NFL, former Detroit Lions and Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive lineman Pat O’Connor is retiring from the NFL.O’Connor, who spent nine seasons in the NFL, including two with the Lions and seven with the Buccaneers, is hanging up his cleats for good.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementO’Connor made his announcement on Instagram. While he didn’t say what the future holds for him after football, he did note he’s “excited and ready for whatever comes next.”“After 9 incredible years, I think it’s finally time to hang up the cleats,” O’Connor said.MORE: Terrion Arnold’s agent names 4 teams interested in ex-Lions CB“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,” he added.“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.”AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementPat O’Connor played his college ball at Eastern Michigan and posted 166 tackles, 33.5 tackles for loss and 20 sacks before he was selected in the seventh round of the 2017 NFL Draft by the Detroit Lions.But the 6-foot-4, 300-pound lineman didn’t make the roster out of training camp and was instead kept on the practice squad before being released not long after.“I was like, damn, I didn’t even get a chance,” O’Connor said while also noting he thought his career was over right then and there.However, that turned out not to be the case.MORE: Bucs’ Yellowstone bison attack NFL promo gets major backlashThe Tampa Bay Buccaneers scooped O’Connor up and that was the beginning of a seven-year run in Tampa that saw O’Connor play in 88 games as a backup and post 24 tackles, 1.5 sacks and five tackles for loss.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThe highlight of O’Connor’s Bucs career was being part of the Super Bowl LV team. The 32-year-old played in all four playoff contests for the Bucs during their run that resulted in a victory over the Kansas City Chiefs in the Big Game.O’Connor and the Bucs parted ways after the 2023 season and he latched on with the Lions, a full-circle moment for his career.O’Connor went on to play in 20 games over two campaigns for the Lions and made his only three career starts in that span. O’Connor posted 28 tackles, including two for loss, and one sack during his second stint with the team that drafted him.