Taylor Decker is entering his contract year, but he never wants to leave.
Allen Park — As the Detroit Lions enter the offseason, there has been much discussion regarding which players are eligible for contract extensions. Jared Goff, who is entering the final year of his contract, could be in line for a hefty salary. Amon-Ra St. Brown, who is nearing the end of his contract, could also receive one.
So what about Taylor Decker?
The veteran left tackle is Detroit’s longest-tenured player, yet he represents everything about the rebuild. He’s tough, physical, and skilled as hell, and he’s an important part of the Lions’ renowned offensive line, which has transformed into the engine for one of the league’s most explosive units. However, Decker’s deal expires after next season, and with stars like Goff and St. Brown to consider, as well as fellow offensive tackle Penei Sewell in the near future, will Detroit have the money to extend Decker beyond 2024?
Those discussions have not yet taken place in a serious manner, and even Decker is unsure of his future — though he certainly hopes it will be in Detroit in some form or another.
“I definitely want to end my career here,” Decker told MLive. “Ultimately, this is where I want to be. Of course, you desire money, but I enjoy being here. I adore being here. I was able to participate in the process of climbing out of the trenches, and it’s been interesting to see the other side over the last year and a half. I don’t know what happens with the contract. So far, there has been nothing substantive in the negotiations. But, finally, do I want to stay here forever? One hundred percent. So, we shall see.”
Decker, a first-round pick in the 2016 draft, has had many difficult years in Detroit. He made the playoffs as a rookie, then struggled through Jim Caldwell’s departure and four consecutive last-place finishes. But Decker continued to play exceptionally well at one of the game’s most crucial positions, and he was rewarded with a five-year, $59.65 million contract extension just days before the start of the 2020 season.
He’s now one of the Brand New Lions’ faces, providing an important experienced voice for one of the league’s youngest squads. Last season, he made his 100th start at left tackle for the organization, becoming only the fourth offensive tackle to do so in Detroit.
“I think the thing that makes it the most meaningful for me was kind of the bad times,” Decker explained at the time. “When we weren’t winning and no one wanted to watch us play, and no one felt we were a good team, no one thought we’d get it right and move forward. But that’s just one of those occasions where you just keep showing up and putting in the work, because the Lions will play football on Sunday whether I’m there or not.not. And it was and continues to be vital to me to be a part of that, because I believe that is why I was brought here. I feel like I was sent here to play a role in helping the team win, and it took a long time, man.”
It took a long time, but it was finally accomplished. The Lions won 14 games on their route to the NFC Championship game this season, and Decker once again performed admirably. Overall, he yielded eight sacks, four of which came while playing with an injury in Chicago. He allowed only one sack in the final seven games, and none on 121 pass blocks in the playoffs.
Decker, 30, remains one of the league’s most consistent left tackles. The Lions boast one of the league’s great offensive lines, paired with the best right tackle in the game on the other side of the field, as well as an All-Pro at center in Frank Ragnow, which they used to finish among the top five offenses in both the running and passing games this season.
But in a salary-cap league, no one can keep everyone, and general manager Brad Holmes has some difficult decisions about the offense’s future. It will cost more than $45 million a year to prolong Goff, while St. Brown will seek a deal worth more than $20 million. Detroit must also decide what to do at guard, as all three of its best players are eligible for free agency in March.
And then there’s Penei Sewell, a 23-year-old dynamo who was recently chosen first-team All-Pro and finished as the league’s top offensive lineman, according to Pro Football Focus. He still has another year on his contract, as well as a club option for 2025, but a long-term deal will be in everyone’s best interests before the season begins.
With that type of money projected to be tied up at offensive tackle, Ragnow entering the second year of his market-setting contract at center, and the uncertainty at guard, it’s unclear where Decker fits into the financial equation as he enters the final year of his contract.
When asked how he would feel about playing on a contract year next season, Decker replied, “I’m not sure. There are many moving elements with all of it. I’ve been extremely fortunate to receive a large second contract here. Would I like to have a third one? Of course. But, in the long run, I want to be here, and how that happens will be determined. So, ideally, it will be a non-issue, and I will continue to play here at the age of 35. However, so far, the discussions have only been at the surface level. There are a lot of moving components, which I’m comfortable with at this point.
Decker said no meaningful contract conversations have taken place, but he hopes to have a better picture of his situation in the coming weeks.
“It’s something that’s on my radar, and I’m sure it’s on their radar,” said Decker. “Maybe in a couple weeks, we’ll find out more.”
In any case, Decker wants it known that he intends to live in Detroit indefinitely.
“Most players don’t get to spend their whole career with one franchise,” he told ESPN. “But that’s something important to me.” I know I was a first-round pick, but I believe they took a gamble on me, and I just want to keep delivering on that. I mean, when you’ve been somewhere for a long time and seen all of the different teammates and coaches, you just become a part of the community. I don’t even want to think about playing somewhere else since that would be awkward.
“I grew up here. Coming out of college, I never had real obligations. Now I do. I’ve seen some good and a lot of horrible, and you just get your viewpoint on things. Definitely, over the last three or four years, I’ve felt a lot more comfortable to the point where I’m like, OK, I’ll speak my mind. When Patricia was here, he did not want that. But Dan (Campbell’s) is lot more, like, you can have your individuality and Your thoughts and opinions, etc. That’s alright, as long as you don’t say something ridiculous. That’s one thing I admire about him. If you have an opinion about the game plan and express it, it is received rather than simply listened to. I like it. “I do not want to go anywhere else.”
