Former Lions defensive tackle Damon “Snacks” Harrison says he didn’t want to play in Detroit and was “hell-bent on getting out” of the Motor City.
The Lions traded for Harrison on Oct. 25, 2018, sending a fifth-round pick to the New York Giants.
That season, Harrison was graded by Pro Football Focus as the No. 3 interior defender in the NFL, with the best run-stop percentage in the league (16%).
After sitting out all of the spring workouts last year, Harrison, one of the top run-stoppers in the league, was placed on the non-football injury list before signing an extension, which converted much of his base salary into a $7.5 million signing bonus.
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By the end of the 2019 season, Harrison told reporters he was contemplating retirement after he played through a multitude of injuries and “wasn’t able to ever get back to the form I’m used to.”
Harrison, who turned 31 in November, finished last season with a career-low 49 tackles.
The veteran defensive lineman is a free agent after being released by the Lions in what he called “a mutual agreement” on Feb. 25. He had two years remaining on his deal after signing the $11 million extension in August.
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