By Kory Woods, Tribune News Service
About a week after saying [he would return to the Detroit Lions for his 11th season](https://www.mlive.com/lions/2026/02/lions-veteran-lt-back-for-11th-season-after-weighing-retirement.html), veteran left tackle Taylor Decker has changed his mind.
On Friday, Decker posted on Instagram that he asked for and will be granted his release from the Lions. In his post, he mentioned that contract talks with the team broke down this season.
“Things change, 145 games started, 3 playoff appearances, 2 division titles, a decade carrying the shield. I fully intended to do it once again, but my time as a Lion is coming to an end,” Decker’s statement read. “In the weeks since notifying the team of my return, there have been numerous discussions. Many of which were a surprise to me, and we could not find common ground. Therefore, I decided to request my release. I am opting for a clean and amicable close to what has been such a beautiful 10 years going to war as a Lion.
“It has been the absolute privilege of my life to be your LT for the past 10 years. And I am forever grateful for the opportunity the Ford family and Lions organization afforded me. To the fans, a thank you is simply never enough. You drive the game to be the absolute pinnacle of competition in our country. Coming from Ohio to Michigan and being welcomed as a kid, but more importantly, being forged into a man in Detroit is a point of pride for me.
“And we were able to fight, scratch, and claw our way out of the depths, and become one of the most feared franchises in the NFL. You were and always have been the most deserving fanbase of all the recent success. All love.”
Decker signed a three-year extension in 2024 and was set to make $18.2 million this year, including a $1.5 million roster bonus if he stayed on the team past March 15. He and the Lions reportedly discussed changing his contract before free agency, but now the team’s longest-serving player is leaving.
While reports from the NFL Network said there was discussion about a restructure of his deal, Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press states Decker [was asked to take a pay cut](https://x.com/davebirkett/status/2029996521165344814?s=20).
The release of Decker will generate $11.6 million in cap savings and $9.4 million in dead cap.
In recent seasons, Decker has dealt with several injuries that have limited his practice time and sometimes kept him out of games.
During the 2025 season, Decker had a chronic right shoulder injury that caused him to miss several games.
At last week’s NFL scouting combine in Indianapolis, Lions coach Dan Campbell said the team would look to add depth at left tackle, no matter if Decker returned or retired. Retirement was still an option for Decker until last week.
“If (the decision is he’s not returning), then we’ve got to find a guy. But if it is, we still have to find a guy,” Campbell said at the combine. “Because, as much as I love Deck, he’s got some things that are going to need some management, and that’s kind of where we’re at. And so, one way or another, we’re going to need somebody that can play over there, and that can help us if we need ’em in a crunch or we need ’em as a starter. So that’s important.”
Shortly after Campbell spoke, Decker took to Instagram to announce his return in a post showcasing him running out the tunnel with the caption, “’Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? And I said, ‘Here am I; SEND ME!’” followed by the hashtag “Year 11.”
With Decker and the Lions parting ways, finding a new left tackle is now a top priority as the team heads into free agency and the NFL draft.
The Lions picked Decker, now 32, with the 16th overall selection in the 2016 NFL draft out of Ohio State.
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