Taylor Decker to be released by Lions after contract talks break down

Taylor Decker will be back in the NFL in 2026 – just not with the Detroit Lions.

Ten days after first announcing he would play again next season, the former Pro Bowl left tackle announced on Instagram on Friday, March 6 that he had requested and would receive his release from the Lions, the team for which he has played for his entire career.

Decker indicated that talks in the last week-and-a-half around a contract restructure had broken down between the two sides. He was due $18.2 million this year, including a $1.5 million bonus if he was on the roster on March 15.

“I am opting for a clean and amicable close to what has been such a beautiful 10 years going to war as a Lion,” Decker wrote.

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Decker, 32, started all 140 games he played for the franchise and earned a Pro Bowl nod in 2024. After the season, he acknowledged he was considering retirement due to the significant pain he felt after a June shoulder surgery. Ultimately, however, he opted to play for another year.

Prior to Decker’s decision to return, Lions coach Dan Campbell said the organization would need to consider options beyond him for both the short- and long-term benefit of the team.

“Look, if it’s not (Decker), then we’ve got to find a guy,” Campbell said Feb. 24 at the NFL scouting combine. “But if it is, we’re still going to find a guy. Because as much as I love ‘Deck,’ he’s got some things that are going to need some management. That’s kind of where we’re at. One way or another, we’re going to need somebody that can play over there and that can help us if we need them in a crunch or we need them as a starter. That’s important.”

Decker’s exit is the latest significant shift for the Lions’ once formidable front. Starting center Graham Glasgow was released on Monday in a cap-saving move. Backup offensive tackle Dan Skipper also retired and joined Detroit’s staff as an offensive assistant. Now, All-Pro right tackle Penei Sewell is the only offensive line starter remaining from the 2024 group that earned the No. 1 seed in the NFC playoffs.

In his latest mock draft, USA TODAY Sports’ Nate Davis projected Detroit to pick Georgia offensive tackle Monroe Freeling with the No. 17 overall pick.