Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell.
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Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell and Brad Holmes are getting pushback after a report from a former player.
On Saturday, March 28, a report emerged about how one former Detroit Lions player unceremoniously left the team. Now, that report is drawing pushback from those just now finding out about the news.
At the end of the 2025-26 season, the Lions and left tackle Taylor Decker cut ties. In an interview out on Saturday with the Detroit Football Network, Decker gives a disturbing account of what happened to him as he was exiting the franchise. He basically says that he was ghosted. That feeling isn’t great in dating and it’s even worse in the NFL.
“It’s been radio silence. It’s uncomfortable,” he told Rogers in the chat. “It’s awkward. It feels like a high school breakup, where you can’t make eye contact when passing each other in the hall.”
According to Decker, he talked to coach Dan Campbell the day before announcing that he was leaving the team tried to reach out to Holmes, but he didn’t hear back. That led to an uncomfortable feeling, and now, both Campbell and Holmes are getting pushback for it.
NFL Analyst Criticizes Detroit Lions Franchise for Handling Situation
In a reaction piece out on Saturday, March 28, John Maakaron of SI is critical about how the franchise handled Decker’s exit after reading the interview. He basically says that the Detroit Lions franchise didn’t handle the situation well at all.
“The Detroit Lions did not properly handle the ending to their working relationship with veteran left tackle Taylor Decker,” he says. Maararon adds that “whether it be a simple miscommunication with general manager Brad Holmes discussing Decker’s status with an agent and not the player, the former first-round pick decided it was best to share his story with the media.”
Of course, it’s “never a good thing when a player shares he felt the head coach and general manager did not relay information properly or connect with him,” he continues, “even after he requested his release in early March.”
Former Detroit Lions Player Details When He Last Spoke With Dan Campbell and Brad Holmes
In the Detroit Football Network interview, Decker says that he last spoke to Campbell on February 23 to let him know he wanted to return to the team for his 11th NFL season. “The news was delivered to him about the team wanting him to take a pay cut, but it did not happen until after the combine had ended, in the first couple days of March,” Maararon added.
So, it was a messy situation, and it’s getting an equally messy response. According to Rogers, what’s difficult for the player is that “this does feel a little personal. Since talking to Campbell on Feb. 23, he hasn’t heard from team leadership.”
Roger adds in his piece, “There wasn’t a follow-up from his coach, Holmes never reached out, and Decker had to make first contact with position coach Hank Fraley, a man he publicly went to bat for when Campbell was hired.”
So, big news doesn’t often break on a Saturday, but that’s the case with this telling Decker interview. Now, though, he’s a free agent, and he may very well sign elsewhere before the 2026-27 season gets underway.