Two weeks ago, the Detroit Lions thought they would be without offensive tackle Taylor Decker for their battle with the Chicago Bears. Decker had battled a shoulder injury throughout the week, and although he had told reporters he was hoping to play in the Week 2 matchup, he missed practice all three days before being listed on the injury report as questionable.
After allowing four sacks in the season opener against the Green Bay Packers, the Lions being without their franchise left tackle didn’t seem to be ideal with former offensive coordinator Ben Johnson coming to town. But when the Lions took the field, Decker was in the trenches and helped Detroit get back to .500 with a 52-21 victory.
Fast forward to the present, and Decker’s status is again up in the air. He has missed the first two days of practice this week, meaning there’s a good chance that he’ll carry an injury designation heading into Sunday’s game against the Cleveland Browns. But like Week 2, Lions fans may get a sense of deja vu.
Lions Fans Shouldn’t Panic over Taylor Decker’s Practice Absences
Decker’s shoulder is among a list of growing concerns for the offensive line this season. The group was dealt a stiff blow when Frank Ragnow announced his retirement in June, and the decision left Graham Glasgow learning a new position as his replacement. Tate Ratledge was also thrown into the fire as a second-round rookie, leaving the Lions looking much different in the trenches heading into this season.
If Decker didn’t play in Week 2, it would have put 2024 fourth-round draft pick Giovanni Manu into the starting lineup. While Decker has endorsed the second-year lineman this offseason, Manu has yet to play an offensive snap in a regular-season game.
As it turned out, Manu got into the game against the Bears; however, it was just three run-blocking snaps after the game had gotten out of hand. Despite not practicing all week, Decker made the start and logged 56 snaps with a 69.2 overall grade and allowed just one pressure on 29 pass-blocking snaps, according to Pro Football Focus.
Decker also missed practice on Thursday and Saturday last week but logged in a full session on Friday before Monday’s matchup with the Baltimore Ravens. The limited practice time didn’t seem to affect Decker, as he allowed three pressures on 30 pass-blocking snaps but also a season-high 82.9 overall grade in the 38-30 victory.
With Myles Garrett and a strong Browns defensive line visiting Detroit on Sunday, it’s natural to worry if Decker logs a third straight DNP on Friday. Conversely, it also could be the Lions managing Decker’s injury through a short week.
Either way, Decker’s injury designation on Friday’s final report should be taken with a grain of salt, and Lions fans should expect to see him back on the field on Sunday.