The Detroit Lions have made it clear that starting left tackle Taylor Decker will return soon, but it appears Decker won’t make his 2021 season debut in Week 6.
The Lions designated Decker for return from injured reserve this week. The team has 21 days (now 19) to activate Decker from the IR and onto the 53-man roster. And it looked promising for Sunday’s matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals after Decker took part in practices on Wednesday and Thursday this week.
Now, those hopes seem remote. Still wearing a club on his injured left index finger, Decker sat out on Friday. Head coach Dan Campbell didn’t rule Decker out but also refused to commit to getting the veteran left tackle on the field right away.
“He’s been getting used to it,” Campbell said before Friday’s practice. “He went out there Wednesday, kind of had a bigger club (on his hand), if you will, and then we reduced it Thursday and got him some reps. It’s hard to say right now (Decker’s availability for Sunday). We’ll do some more today and then see where we’re at.”
But at the practice on Friday, Decker was not in uniform and did nothing more than the stretching drills with the team. Based on that inactivity and what Campbell said before practice, it sure seems unlikely that Decker will play against the Bengals.
That would leave the current status quo of rookie Penei Sewell at left tackle and young Matt Nelson on the right side, with veteran Will Holden as the primary backup.
