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The Athletic’s Colton Pouncy argued it will be interesting to hear if the Detroit Lions have a deadline on LT Taylor Decker to make a retirement decision.
The Detroit Lions again had one of the best offenses in the league last season. But when The Athletic NFL staff named the hottest topics around each team entering the 2026 NFL combine, Colton Pouncy focused entirely on offense, including left tackle Taylor Decker.
On Monday, Pouncy wrote he would like to find out during combine week whether the Lions have a deadline on Decker to make his 2026 NFL decision.
“It’ll be interesting to learn if the Lions have asked left tackle Taylor Decker — who’s currently mulling retirement — to give them a timeline for a decision,” Pouncy wrote. “It feels like that’s the next logical step.
“If Decker retires, the Lions will free up close to $11 million in cap space and can begin the search for his replacement.”
Decker has played 10 seasons in the league, all of them with the Lions. He’s started 60 games over the past four years, which has coincided with Detroit’s rise to offensive dominance.
But in 2025, Decker dealt with a lingering right shoulder injury. He missed three games because of the ailment.
Decker, who will turn 33 before the start of the 2026 regular season, has played a full season just once over the past five years.
Dave Holcomb is a sports reporter covering the NFL and MLB for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Pittsburgh Steelers, Philadelphia Eagles and Detroit Lions. Originally from Pittsburgh, Holcomb has covered college and professional sports for outlets including FanSided, Rotowire and Yardbarker. More about Dave Holcomb
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