{"id":849932,"date":"2026-04-02T20:15:20","date_gmt":"2026-04-02T20:15:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/849932\/"},"modified":"2026-04-02T20:15:20","modified_gmt":"2026-04-02T20:15:20","slug":"bears-expected-to-poach-ex-lions-left-tackle-taylor-decker","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/849932\/","title":{"rendered":"Bears Expected to Poach Ex-Lions Left Tackle Taylor Decker"},"content":{"rendered":"

\t\t\t\t\"Kyler\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tGetty\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA – NOVEMBER 16: Head coach Ben Johnson of the Chicago Bears looks on prior to a game against the Minnesota Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium on November 16, 2025 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by David Berding\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n

The Chicago Bears<\/a>\u2018 roster deficiencies dictate the team look defense early and often in the NFL<\/a> draft, but one major question remains on the other side of the football that free agency is most suited to address.<\/p>\n

Chicago doesn\u2019t necessarily need a longterm left tackle, as 2025 second-round pick Ozzy Trapilo<\/a> stepped into that role and excelled in the second half of last season. But his ruptured patellar tendon, which Trapilo suffered in the team\u2019s first-round playoff win over the Green Bay Packers<\/a>, could sideline him for much of the upcoming campaign.<\/p>\n

The Bears brought back Braxton Jones<\/a> on one-year contract worth just $5 million<\/a>, who lost the starting job to Theo Benedet<\/a> last year, before Benedet lost it to Trapilo.<\/p>\n

Chicago also added Jedrick Wills Jr.<\/a>, a former first-round pick of the Cleveland Browns<\/a>, on a one-year deal for the league minimum of $1.2 million<\/a> after he sat out all of 2025 rehabilitating from injury and played a total of 13 games over the two seasons prior.<\/p>\n

The team is optimistic about Jones, who also battled injury and has put on some bulk early in the offseason, but there is no sugarcoating the reality: the Bears slapped a bandage on a gaping wound to the most important position on the offensive line and are praying it will hold until Trapilo can return.<\/p>\n

Chicago\u2019s ability to remake its offensive front in one offseason was arguably the biggest reason for the team\u2019s turnaround in 2025, which led to the first division title since 2018 and first playoff victory since 2010. But after center Drew Dalman<\/a> made a Pro Bowl and retired unexpectedly, the O-line is teetering in the Windy City.<\/p>\n

An answer exists, however, in former Detroit Lions<\/a> left tackle Taylor Decker<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Taylor Decker, Ben Johnson Had Longterm Relationship With Lions\"Taylor<\/p>\n

GettyLeft tackle Taylor Decker, formerly of the Detroit Lions.<\/p>\n

Bears head coach Ben Johnson<\/a> served as the Lions offensive coordinator for three seasons between 2022-24. Decker earned his first Pro Bowl honors in Johnson\u2019s final year with the team.<\/p>\n

A 10-year starter on the left side in Detroit, Decker asked for his release from Detroit and the remainder of his $60 million<\/a> contract so that he could pursue employment elsewhere in the league.<\/p>\n

Chicago\u2019s need at LT and Decker\u2019s relationship with Johnson render a reunion between the two a seemingly perfect fit. The one hitch is that Trapilo is likely to return late in 2026, but whether he will be back in time to matter significantly is an open question.<\/p>\n

Spotrac projects Decker\u2019s market value at nearly $43 million<\/a> on a two-year deal as he heads into his age-33 campaign, but that might be a price the Bears are willing to pay to secure a premium position and patch the biggest roster hole on offense.<\/p>\n

Taylor Decker Makes More Sense in Chicago Than Early Draft Pick at Left Tackle\"Taylor<\/p>\n

GettyLeft tackle Taylor Decker, formerly of the Detroit Lions.<\/p>\n

Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report predicted earlier this week that Decker will land in Chicago before the offseason is through.<\/p>\n

\u201cDecker has started 140 games across 10 seasons and was ranked 41st overall among all tackles by Pro Football Focus<\/a> in 2025,\u201d Knox wrote<\/a>. \u201cDecker would be a terrific fit at left tackle, even if he\u2019s only a bridge to a player drafted later this month.\u201d<\/p>\n

Knox also suggested Chicago could draft a longterm starter at LT later this month, though the majority of high-end talent at the position in this year\u2019s class is more suited to\/experienced with playing on the right side of the line.<\/p>\n

The Bears also have considerable needs at defensive tackle, edge-rusher and in the secondary that may take priority.<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\tMax Dible<\/a> covers the NFL, NBA and MLB for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings, Chicago Bears and Cleveland Browns. He covered local and statewide news as a reporter for West Hawaii Today and served as news director for BigIslandNow.com and Pacific Media Group’s family of Big Island radio stations before joining Heavy. More about Max Dible<\/a>\t\t<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\tMore Heavy on Bears\n\t\t<\/p>\n

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