Among all the contract news around the Detroit Lions this offseason, with big new deals for Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jared Goff, the situation of left tackle Taylor Decker has fallen by the wayside. But the longest-tenured Lion is entering the final year of his contract, and at the outset of the offseason he made his intentions clear.
"I definitely want to end my career here,” Decker told MLive. “I would say ultimately, for me, this is where I want to be. Of course you want money, but for me, I like being here. I love being here.....Whatever happens with the contract, I don’t know. There’s been nothing of substance with (negotiations) so far. But ultimately, do I want to be here forever? One-hundred percent. So, we’ll see.”
Decker later said he was aware that contract talks had started. Since then, with the aforementioned trio of deals happening, there has been nothing regarding a new deal for Decker. In a broad sense he should be next up for a new contract, maybe before the season starts.
Taylor Decker contract update is just as expected
No news is not necessarily bad news regarding a new contract for Decker. In response to a mailbag question on the matter, wondering if this might be Decker's last year as a Lion, Justin Rogers of the Detroit News offered an expected update.
"Decker's contract status kind of got buried in the summer of Goff, Amon-Ra St. Brown and Penei Sewell, but it's definitely something that merits attention. As it stands, the Lions don't have a viable replacement plan, as rookie Giovanni Manu is a project who could take multiple years to develop into a potential answer."
"I've talked to some people in Decker's circle who seemed encouraged by early talks, and I believe Holmes has every intention of keeping the roster's strength intact. I don't know when it happens, but I believe the sides eventually come together on a deal, likely on the shorter side, such as a two-year pact."
The Lions could let Decker play out the final year of his contract, then eye replacing him in 2025 via free agency or the draft. But the most likely scenario is along the line of what Rogers said-a two-year extension, with Decker possibly edging back into the top-10 highest-paid offensive tackles based on per-year average. Anything else would be a surprise.