CHICAGO, Ill., — With the need for a left tackle, the Chicago Bears were linked to former Detroit Lions tackle Taylor Decker. It was an obvious connection due to Ben Johnson's familiarity with the veteran and many believed it would make sense.
However, it doesn't appear to be in the cards anymore.
Justin Rogers of DetroitFootball.net recently interviewed Decker back in Arizona to catch up with the former Detroit left tackle. He learned a lot about Decker and what his plans are now after leaving the Lions. On a podcast, Rogers revealed that Decker wouldn't want to play for either the Bears or Green Bay Packers because it would feel 'dirty' to do so:
"He wants to play for a winner. Yet he's kind of thinking about, 'Is it cheap to go win somewhere else after you've invested all your energy emotionally and physically into one franchise?'" Rogers said on the Lions Collective podcast. "I will tell you that he's pretty anti-playing for the Bears or Packers. That's the Lions background in him. I know Ben Johnson did it and that was the right situation for him, but Taylor feels kind of dirty about the idea. It just isn't interesting to him. I could see him joining a team mid-season, the further he gets away from football and games being played, injuries happening and the right offer occurs. I could also see him not playing."
The first part of that is important because both the Bears and Packers made the playoffs last season, the only two teams from the NFC North to do so. Joining either of the two teams would put him in a position to win again.
But playing so long for the Lions, he's learned about the hate in the NFC North and he does want to be remembered as a Lion. We've seen a lot of players play for multiple NFC North teams, and it hasn't been a problem. However, pride is very important to Decker.
Will he change his mind? Who knows, but as of now, I wouldn't count on him signing in Chicago anytime soon.
Not a VIP subscriber to the Bear Report? Sign up now to get access to everything publisher Zack Pearson and the entire Bear Report team have to offer on all things Chicago Bears and access to the No. 1 site covering the team!