Graham Glasgow: I Was 'Bitter' about Leaving Detroit Lions

Graham Glasgow wants to have success with the Detroit Lions in his second stint.

Prior to leaving the Detroit Lions and signing with the Denver Broncos in 2020, offensive lineman Graham Glasgow just wanted to feel appreciated by the team he was working extremely hard to perform for. 

Unfortunately, many signs pointed to the former regime, led by general manager Bob Quinn and Matt Patricia, being okay with moving on from the talented lineman. 

For unexplainable reasons, the coaching staff decided to regularly rotate Glasgow with veteran Kenny Wiggins, likely frustrating the former Wolverines standout. 

The organization did not give Glasgow a contract extension, despite him only missing one snap in two seasons and performing at a high level at multiple positions.

Glasgow expressed bitterness about leaving, but is excited about his return, due to the potential of having success with his former teammates that he's remained friends with. 

"I was bitter," Glasgow expressed. "Yeah, but I got over that relatively quickly. I had no bad, like no ill will against the Lions or any of my old teammates. I wanted them all to do well. I wanted them all to succeed."

After three seasons in Denver, an older and wiser veteran has returned to be a part of an offensive line unit that has become one of the top performing groups in the National Football League. 

Joining Lions' offensive line 

Other NFL teams expressed interest in Glasgow, including the San Francisco 49ers and the Carolina Panthers. 

But, the allure of coming back to Detroit was very enticing. 

"When I ended up getting released, I told my agent right away that this was a place I was very interested in, and I wanted to gauge their interest in me," Glasgow said. "And, they were interested. And, it came down to like here and like San Francisco a little bit, Carolina a little bit.

"I get to play with some of my friends, play with Taylor (Decker), play with Frank (Ragnow). I mean, it just came down to like, I wanted to be a part of that O-line room. I wanted to be back with my buddies, and I wanted to be a part of this team."

Not many teams have several Pro Bowlers along the offensive line. For Glasgow, the appeal of the coaching staff, returning to play with his friends and being part of a special offensive unit were quite appealing factors. 

"When I was, when I was looking for places to go, that was something that was really enticing to me -- was just seeing how good they've been so far," said Glasgow. "You don't get many opportunities to go join a place that already has like a very well established line. And, I think that was, as I said, something that was appealing to me."