Jan. 23, 2026, 8:15 p.m. ET

The Detroit Lions selected Taylor Decker in the first round (16th overall) of the 2016 NFL draft. Now, in the year 2026, Decker is considering retirement.

Full analysis, timeline of Decker’s injury history: Visit Jimmy Liao’s full Taylor Decker injury analysis

Decker has played under four head coaches: Jim Caldwell (2016-2017), Matt Patricia (2018-2020), Darrell Bevell (interim 2020), and Dan Campbell (2021-present). The 6-foot-7, 324-pound lineman’s durability and leadership have been highlights, with Decker’s 112 starts from his draft date through 2023 ranking as 32 more than any other Lion in that span.

Decker’s future availability became a question mark last season, though, as he struggled through a right shoulder issue all year and missed a pair of games with it.

At JimmyLiaoMD.com, I recapped Decker’s recent injury history which includes his right shoulder surgery, toe surgery, and knee injuries. I also delve into his contract status and health outlook going forward.

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Here is an excerpt:

In this postseason locker room interview, Decker revealed many of the treatments he has used during the season, presumably for the right shoulder:

The efficacy of all these types of treatments is certainly up for debate. The desired outcome is an improvement in healing and pain, which can be highly subjective and prone to the power of placebo.

I fully support trying new technologies to improve healing. The challenge is trying to figure out what works and what doesn’t. When you dig into the research studies, many of the studies have flaws – like lack of placebo control or conflict of interests.

Ideally, with extended rest and healing, his shoulder will improve to the point where he doesn’t need any of these treatments to get by. – Jimmy Liao MD

In his postseason remarks, Decker shared what this past season was like for him.

indicated that if similar treatments are required to play during 2026, then that would help make his retirement decision for him.

“I told my wife this about a week and a half ago,” Decker said. “You know how in those fantasy like medieval shows there’s like that old warrior and he just wants to die in battle? I feel like that’s how I feel, but I can’t. I can’t do that because it’s not just me. It doesn’t just affect me. Hypothetically speaking about it. And that makes it harder. That makes it so much harder because I know I can still play, but what is that going to make the future of my family look like? And my future?

“I need to make informed decisions. I need to get second opinions. There’s a lot that I have to do, because I want to make this decision moving forward informed. And I don’t want to make it emotionally because if I make it emotionally, I already know what the answer is going to be. But it’s a massive decision, and it’s not only about me. It’s about my kids.”

Decker acknowledged the time commitment that his treatments have required and said bluntly that if it’s a similar situation in 2026, he’d opt for retirement.

“It was what was necessary, and it was what I was willing to do,” Decker said. “But it asked a lot of my life and it was selfish of me but it was what was required to fulfill the expectations of my job…

“If that’s what my future is going to be to continue to play, that’s not something I’m willing to do, because I’m not willing to put my family through and I’m not willing to be distant and not be a present father. Because your kids are only little once, and God-willing we have more, I want to be able to play with them and I want to be able to throw the ball with them. I mean, I can’t throw a football right now, no way. But could I, given the right set of circumstances? Maybe, but I need to go through that process.”

Most signs point toward retirement at this time. Decker must decide if he can endure another season of high-level pain, while the Lions must prepare a Plan B at left tackle for the 2026 season.

Detroit backup swing lineman Dan Skipper has already announced his retirement and there’s speculation that Graham Glasgow could as well. With Decker’s injury situation, it could be an offseason filled with turnover up front for the Lions.

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