The Detroit Lions are dealing with plenty of injuries on the defensive side of the ball, so they would like to keep their absences on offense to a minimum to have a chance against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 7. That is why it was great news when The Athletic's Colton Pouncy reported that starting left tackle Taylor Decker returned to practice on Thursday after missing the last two weeks.
Decker's return to practice was a surprising development since Pouncy had reported earlier in the day that Dan Campbell said the veteran left tackle wouldn't practice on Thursday, but could return on Friday. Despite the earlier-than-expected return to practice, the Lions should be very careful about the 32-year-old who has been dealing with the same shoulder injury all season.
Taylor Decker May Be Back but Lions Shouldn't Start Him in Week 7
The Lions have been dealing with Decker's shoulder issue since training camp. The Pro Bowler has missed practices all season. Dave Birkett of Detroit Free Press noted that Decker only took part in three of 18 practices since the Lions began issuing an injury report with the start of the season.
This is obviously an issue that will need to be nursed and monitored all season. Decker is in his tenth season in the league and is getting up there in age. He is one of the most physical and toughest players on the team, but he absorbs a lot of contact week in and week out. He has already revealed that he has contemplated retirement before, something Lions fans are familiar with after Frank Ragnow's sudden retirement this offseason.
Therefore, injury management will be key to keeping Decker as fresh as possible for the second half of the season and the playoffs. With that in mind, it may be wiser to keep Decker sidelined for another week, especially with the bye week coming after Monday night. This would allow Decker to rest and recover more, helping the Lions more in the long run.
In that scenario, it would be Dan Skipper getting another start at left tackle. Skipper is obviously not the player Decker is, but he is a capable veteran who can hold his own and play a largely mistake-free game, like he did against the Chiefs. There is an obvious risk involved here as well, as the Lions would ideally not like to fall to 4-3 for the season.
But head coach Dan Campbell & Co. have Super Bowl aspirations and must have the bigger picture in mind, which could mean not rushing Decker's return too soon.