Detroit Lions Need To Cut Ties With Dominic Raiola

By Brian Kalchik @BrianKalchik on December 21, 2014

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The 20-14 win over the Chicago Bears won’t be remembered for any one play that affected the outcome of the game, but rather for another ugly incident involving a Detroit Lions offensive lineman who has had a rap sheet of questionable incidents during his career.

In the second half of today’s game, center Dominic Raiola intentionally stepped on the ankle of Bears defensive tackle Ego Ferguson, which resulted in Ferguson leaving the game, although no penalty was assessed. Given the rough past with Raiola and the potential distractions that this incident will bring to the organization, it is time for the Lions to sever ties with the veteran even in the middle of a playoff run.

A second-round pick in 2001 from Nebraska, Raiola has started nearly every game from the Matt Millen era through the beginning of the Jim Caldwell era. While he has been productive during his time with the Lions, Raiola’s career has been marred by some ugly incidents.

In 2008, Raiola was fined $7,500 for flipping off Lions fans during the 0-16 season. In 2013, Raiola allegedly taunted members of the Wisconsin Marching Band for being “overweight” and using derogatory terms relating to their sexuality. Earlier this season, Raiola was again fined for several cheap shots on New England Patriots defensive tackle Zach Moore during a blowout loss.

After having a great 2013 season, in which he was ranked among the five best centers in the NFL (according to Pro Football Focus), Raiola has had a rather inconsistent season with numerous penalties and struggles in both pass protection and run blocking. The Lions did draft Travis Swanson in the third round to eventually replace Raiola, but he has been mostly used as a backup guard.

With Detroit’s biggest game in years coming next week against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field to decide the NFC North, the time is now to get rid of potential distractions like Raiola and move on completely from this repeat offender.

Raiola will definitely be fined for this incident and might even be suspended for next Sunday’s game, but to avoid a week full of distractions, the Lions have to part ways with him immediately.

Brian Kalchik is a Detroit Lions writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter, like him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google+.