Brad Holmes talks about the possibility of the Lions and Taylor Decker reuniting
The Lions look to be fully moving on at tackle and a Taylor Decker return doesn’t seem to be in the cards
One of the more surprising moments of the offseason for the Detroit Lions was when Taylor Decker and the Lions went their separate ways.
Decker not being in Detroit in 2026 wasn’t really the biggest surprise. When the 2025 season ended, it really looked like Decker would retire. Then he decided that he was going to come back. Where the surprise comes is that just a couple of weeks later, both sides disagreed on compensation, and Decker requested his release.
Since then, Decker has gone unsigned, and the Lions still need a left tackle. This has made fans wonder if the Lions and Decker might get back together. Lions GM Brad Holmes was on Lions Collective on Tuesday and answered that question for Lions fans.
The Lions have not been in contact with Taylor Decker, and a reunion does not look like it’s gonna happen
“I’ll never say never, just I’ve learned a lot in this business to say that. But No, there hasn’t been any contact.”
Holmes says the Lions were not taken by surprise when Decker announced during the NFL Combine that he was coming back for an eleventh season. He said ultimately talks broke down, and this was one of the hardest moves the Lions had to make, and that the team is going to miss him, and the locker room is going to miss him.
At the end of the day, the Lions seemed poised to move on at tackle, regardless of what happened with Decker, and part of the reason was the left tackle’s shoulder. Lions head coach Dan Campbell’s comments at the NFL Combine really showed that even if Decker stayed, he might not have been super safe in Detroit.
“Look, if it’s not [Decker returning], then we’ve got to find a guy,” Campbell said. “But if it is, we’re still going to find a guy. Because as much as I love ‘Deck,’ he’s got some things that are going to need some management. That’s kind of where we’re at. One way or another, we’re going to need somebody that can play over there and that can help us if we need them in a crunch or we need them as a starter. That’s important.”
Ultimatley the Lions signed Larry Borom, and when you listen to Holmes talk, it sure sounds like the Lions plan to start him at right tackle in 2026. We’ll see what happens, but Decker coming back is unlikely.