Taylor Decker announces he will return for Detroit Lions in 2026, forgoing retirement

Just hours after Detroit general manager Brad Holmes said the team hoped to have some clarity on the future of left tackle Taylor Decker in the “next couple of weeks,” the Lions have their answer. Decker will play again in 2026.

The star offensive lineman announced his decision in an Instagram post. He quoted scripture in doing so.

“‘Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?'” Decker wrote. “And I said, ‘Here am I; SEND ME!’ #Year11.”

Taylor Decker’s decision gives the Lions a big piece back for the 2026 season. He is an 11th-year veteran now, a guy that can be leaned on and counted on on a consistent basis.

Because of that, the Lions were prepared to wait out a decision. Taylor Decker obviously felt he had had enough time to come to that decision sooner rather than later.

“Obviously, Taylor, he’s earned the right to have as much space as he needs to reflect on a long season, and we respect him; we give him that,” Holmes told the media, according to Yahoo! Sports. “But obviously, with the start of the new League year coming, you want as much clarity as possible. So, within these next couple of weeks, we’ll make sure that we have that clarity.”

In addition to Holmes’ comments, Detroit head coach Dan Campbell also shared what Taylor Decker meant to the team and how he handled the retirement decision.

“So, I’ve left him alone,” Campbell said. “We had a conversation, right when the season ended, about him taking his time to figure out what he really feels like he wants to do. And so I’ve left him alone there. I don’t want to say we haven’t had a conversation, but I’m leaving that between us.

“Look, if it’s not (possible Decker returns), then we‘ve got to find a guy. But even if (he returns), we’ve still got to find a guy. Because, as much as I love Deck, he’s got some things that are going to need some management, and that’s kind of where we’re at. So, one way or another, we’re going to need somebody who can play over there (left tackle). If we need them in a crunch, or if we need them as a starter.”