Former Detroit Lions left tackle Taylor Decker's future remains a hot topic amid the NFL's league meetings in Phoenix, AZ. Lions fans are curious as to where Decker will end up after requesting and being granted his release earlier this month.
Head coach Dan Campbell discussed the former player on Monday (h/t DLNPodcast), but his comments show that Decker's chances of returning to the Motor City look slim to none.
""Look, I'm sure as hell not going to call (Decker) right now, not after all this article came out. But I'll call him. I'm going to call him in time. But I want him to know it's real and it's a real phone call. Man, we appreciate everything he did."Dan Campbell, Lions HC
Decker reportedly believes the communication between him and the team wasn't clear this offseason, leading to his being cut. The Lions apparently wanted him to take a pay cut, but he wasn't interested.
Now that Campbell is referring to Decker in the past tense, it seems like the partnership is officially in the rearview.
Dan Campbell Comments Seemingly Close Door on Taylor Decker’s Return to Lions
Campbell revealed that Decker could have returned, but on reduced pay. Instead, they cut him to save $16.4 million, allowing them to sign Cade Mays ($8 million), Larry Borom ($5 million), and D.J. Wonnum ($3 million) for around the same money in 2026.
Campbell added, "Decker’s alone, with the way it all went down, we got three players that we feel like are going to help us that we wouldn’t have gotten."
The Lions valued quantity this offseason, which is why they decided to move on from Decker. With a hole at LT, Detroit is now considering moving Penei Sewell over from the right side to the left, adding another wrinkle to why Decker likely won't be back in 2026.
As the dust settles, it's becoming very clear that the Lions don't regret their decision to move on from Decker. They were happy to save the money and use it towards multiple players in free agency. With them poised to move their All-Pro to left tackle, there doesn't seem to be much room left for Decker.
If he wants to play in the NFL next season, it looks like it will be somewhere other than Detroit, as a Motor City return is seemingly out of the question. Decker made his bed, regardless of how he felt about the Lions' approach, and now it's time for him to sleep in it.
Despite spending a decade with the Lions, the two sides couldn't reach common ground this offseason, and now it looks like the odds of his return are nonexistent. Needless to say, it'll be interesting to see where — if anywhere — Decker ends up playing next season.