Taylor Decker is entering the final year of his contract with the Detroit Lions. The veteran left tackle is playing out the fifth-year option of his original rookie deal signed as the team’s first-round pick in 2016.
Decker has been good enough to earn a lucrative offer if he were to hit the open market. While he’s not an elite talent, replacing him at such a key position would be a major ordeal for the Lions. Tackles of his caliber don’t hit free agency often, and the draft is an even less-certain way to fill a critical hole. Detroit is flush with salary cap room too, near the top of the league in available cap.
Despite all that, Decker says the Lions have not yet presented him or his agent with an extension. He made the admission during a Zoom teleconference with reporters on Thursday.
When asked if he’s considered different contract options, Decker responded,
“I haven’t considered anything because there hasn’t been anything put on the table. However those conversations go, I’ll speak with my agent about that, he’ll speak with the organization about that and then however they go, they go. But obviously anything could be considered.”
He also doesn’t seem worried about a timetable.
“I didn’t really have any expectations on when something would be done or if something would be done,” Decker explained without sounding concerned. He noted the team and the country have bigger things to worry about in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.
