Dominic Raiola is done in Detroit.
The Lions have told their longtime, rabble-rousing center that he won't be back with the organization for his 15th NFL season, The Detroit Free Press reported this week.
The team's longest-tenured player started a franchise-record 203 games in the Motor City. After a strong campaign in 2013, though, Raiola -- Detroit's second-round pick in 2001 -- ranked as the 37th center in the league in 2014, per Pro Football Focus.
He often generated more attention for antics than his blocking, drawing a one-game suspension from the NFL for stomping on the ankle of Bears defensive lineman Ego Ferguson in Week 16.
That's not all. Raiola also admitted taking a cheap shot with his cut-block of Patriots defensive tackle Zach Moore on the last play of Detroit's Week 11 loss to New England. This came one season after the Lions were forced to apologize for their untoward center "hurling gay slurs at members of the University of Wisconsin band during halftime" of a loss to the Packers.
Lions general manager Martin Mayhew went out of his way to call Raiola an "outstanding guy"Â after the season, but he wouldn't commit to bringing the behemoth back for another campaign. Whether it was his play, his shenanigans, his age -- or a combination of all three -- the Lions are moving on.
UPDATE: Raiola confirmed to Lions website writer Tim Twentyman that 2014 was his last season in Detroit.
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