Taylor Decker has seen it all during his eight seasons with the Detroit Lions. He participated in the playoffs as a rookie and did not do so again until this season. He has been one of the league’s most underrated left tackles, and he is still seeking for his first career Pro Bowl selection.
Now that it’s the summer, the Lions’ contract extension talks are centered on Jared Goff, Amon-Ra St. Brown, and potentially Penei Sewell.
But Decker, the Lions’ longest-tenured player, is also nearing the final year of his contract in 2024, having inked a five-year, $59.65 million deal shortly before the 2020 season began. His $19.1 million cap cost for 2024 is currently the tenth-highest among left tackles (per Spotrac).
Decker will turn 31 in August, but he appears to have a lot of strong years left. So a multi-year contract to keep him around is unlikely to prove an albatross for the Lions.
Taylor Decker makes his ambitions for the future perfectly plain.
Contract talks between Decker and the Lions have not yet begun. However, in a recent interview with Kyle Meinke of MLive, he said unequivocally where he wants to be when his career winds down.
“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.”
It’s no surprise that Decker wants to be a “Lion for life,” as he’s the franchise’s fourth offensive lineman to make at least 100 starts (112 regular season starts). It’s fair to presume the sentiment is shared, but there’s a balance to be struck in terms of years, new money, guaranteed money, and so on to make a deal work for the team.
That being said, it would be a massive surprise if Decker did not sign a new contract that keeps him with the Lions for at least a couple more years after next season.
