The Lions’ offensive line looks like a graveyard right now.
Longtime Detroit tackle Taylor Decker announced on Instagram Friday that he requested a release from the team, which was granted.
“Things change…I fully intended to do it once again, but my time as a Lion is coming to an end. 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,” Decker wrote.
“I am opting for a clean and amicable close to what has been such a beautiful 10 years going to war as a Lion.”
Decker’s announcement comes two weeks after he announced his return to the NFL for an 11th season, despite contemplating retirement.
The 32-year-old was the longest-tenured player on the Lions’ roster, starting all 140 regular-season games he played in. He made the Pro Bowl once in 2024.
His 2025 season was cut short due to a chronic shoulder injury, forcing him to miss three games.
In Decker’s message, he also thanked the Lions’ fanbase, especially coming from Ohio State when he was drafted with the No. 16 overall pick in 2016.
“To the fans, a thank you is simply never enough…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,” Decker said.
“You were and always have been the most deserving fanbase of all the recent success.”
Without Decker, the Lions have a major job on their hands to patch up their offensive line.
They retain All-Pro right tackle Penei Sewell, but Dan Skipper retired and interior lineman Graham Glasgow was released, leaving multiple spots to fill via free agency and the draft.
This comes after a disappointing 2025 season for Detroit. The Lions finished 9-8, missing the playoffs, after two straight postseason appearances.
