Detroit Lions left tackle Taylor Decker (ankle, foot) said on Tuesday that he underwent surgery on his ankle and foot this offseason. The surgery was related to an injury that he's been dealing with since college. Decker said he feels great walking around now. He'll be limited this spring but should be fine for the start of the 2024 regular season this fall. Despite not being 100 percent healthy last year, the 29-year-old only missed two regular-season games for the Lions and played in all three of their playoff contests. The former 16th overall pick by Detroit in the 2016 NFL draft out of Ohio State is one of the big reasons why the Lions' offense has soared in recent seasons as he's protected quarterback Jared Goff's blind side.
Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell said that left tackle Taylor Decker (groin) will return to practice on Thursday and is good to go for the Week 17 game on Saturday against the Dallas Cowboys. Decker opened up the week with a limited practice showing on Tuesday before sitting out on Wednesday, but the fact that he's back at practice on Thursday means that he'll be able to protect quarterback Jared Goff's blind side this weekend in a tough matchup against Micah Parsons and company. Having the 30-year-old Decker available in Week 17 will be good news for a Lions offense that will have their hands full against a Cowboys team that has played much better at home in 2023.
Detroit Lions offensive tackle Taylor Decker (ankle), who is listed as questionable for the Thursday night divisional showdown against the Green Bay Packers, is expected to play. Meanwhile, cornerback Emmanuel Moseley (hamstring, knee), who is also questionable, is not expected to play. Decker has missed the team's last two games, but it looks as though the 29-year-old will be returning in Week 4 for the Lions' offensive line after he was limited in practice all week. Halapoulivaati Vaitai (knee) has been ruled out, so Decker's return will be welcomed news for the Lions offense as they look to win a crucial early season divisional matchup with the 2-1 Packers.
Detroit Lions left tackle Taylor Decker (ankle) didn't miss a snap in the Week 1 win over the Kansas City Chiefs despite injuring his ankle early in last Thursday night's game, but he missed his fourth straight practice on Friday and has only "an outside shot" of playing in Week 2 against the Seattle Seahawks, according to head coach Dan Campbell. "I would say he's a little less than questionable," Campbell said. "We'll just see where he's at tomorrow." Decker was officially listed as doubtful on the final Week 2 injury report. Right tackle Penei Sewell made eight starts at left tackle when Decker missed the start of the 2021 season, and the Lions have also toyed with the idea of moving right guard Halapoulivaati Vaitai to left tackle and using Graham Glasgow at right guard. If Vaitai stays at guard, Matt Nelson is the likely starter at right tackle.
Taylor Decker Making Season Debut Against Steelers
Detroit Lions left tackle Taylor Decker (finger) is active for Week 10 against the Pittsburgh Steelers and will be making his season debut on Sunday. Decker was activated from Injured Reserve earlier this week and will return to his starting left tackle job as the blind-side protector for quarterback Jared Goff. With Decker back at left tackle, first-round rookie Penei Sewell, who had done a nice job on the left side, will move back to his normal spot at right tackle. Decker suffered a left index finger injury four days before the Week 1 opener and needed surgery to fix it. Matt Nelson will serve as a swing tackle off the bench now that Decker is back. Sewell will draw the primary blocking assignment on top Steelers pass-rusher T.J. Watt, so that will be a matchup to watch Sunday.
Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell said left tackle Taylor Decker's (finger) chances of making his season debut in Week 10 against the Pittsburgh Steelers are "high." Decker returned to practice this week after missing the first eight games of the season with an injured left index finger that required surgery and suffered a setback along the way. He was graded as a top-12 tackle by Pro Football Focus in 2020, so his return would be great news for quarterback Jared Goff and the entire Lions offense as a whole. Decker should return to his left tackle role, with the team moving rookie Penei Sewell back to the right tackle spot that he trained at all offseason. The Steelers rank in the top 10 in the NFL with 22 sacks on the year, so this would be a good time to get Decker back.
The Detroit Lions activated left tackle Taylor Decker (finger) and defensive end Kevin Strong (head) from Injured Reserve on Tuesday and waived offensive guard Tommy Kraemer in a corresponding move. Decker, the starting left tackle, is still at least a week or two away from being ready to play, but the Lions had to activate him by Wednesday or risk losing him for the rest of the season. He has yet to play this season and aggravated his finger injury when he returned to practice on Oct. 13. Decker signed a four-year contract extension worth $60 million in September of last year, and the Lions offensive line could really use him back as soon as possible as they head into their bye week without a win.
Detroit Lions left tackle Taylor Decker (finger) returned to practice on Wednesday, and the Lions now have 21 days to activate him from Injured Reserve to the active roster. Decker, the team's starting left tackle when healthy, has yet to play this season. His injury has caused the Lions to shift rookie first-rounder Penei Sewell to quarterback Jared Goff's blind side. Decker's return would be a huge boost to Detroit's offensive line and would allow Sewell to return to the right side. There's a chance that the 27-year-old will be able to make his season debut in Week 6 against the Cincinnati Bengals, but it's not a foregone conclusion.
Detroit Lions left tackle Taylor Decker (finger) is eligible to return from Injured Reserve this week, but head coach Dan Campbell said on Monday that he doesn't expect Decker to be in the lineup in Week 4 against the Chicago Bears. Decker is currently recovering from surgery to fix an injured finger on his left hand. With Decker out, first-round rookie Penei Sewell was moved to left tackle. Sewell has performed admirably so far, so it's unclear if Decker will return to the position when he's ready to go. A 2016 first-round pick himself, Decker signed a contract extension in 2020 and is under contract with Detroit through the 2024 season.
The Detroit Lions placed star left tackle Taylor Decker (finger) on Injured Reserve on Saturday after he had finger surgery, according to a source. Decker should be back in around a month, but this is no doubt a big loss for Detroit's offensive line and for new quarterback Jared Goff. Matt Nelson will likely start at left tackle in the season opener on Sunday against the San Francisco 49ers, which will be a sizable downgrade on Goff's blind-side against an imposing Niners defensive line. It's bad news for Goff, who was already considered a low-end QB2 for fantasy managers because of his limited receiving options -- Tyrell Williams is essentially Goff's No. 1 receiver. Nick Bosa and Co. should be licking their chops. Start the 49ers defense with confidence.
