Taylor Decker requests release from Detroit Lions a week after committing to play in 2026

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Allen Park — In a stunning development, longtime Detroit Lions offensive tackle Taylor Decker has requested his release from the team, a little more than a week after announcing he was returning to play next season.

Decker made the announcement via his Instagram account.

“Things change, 145 games started, 3 playoff appearances, 2 division titles, a decade carrying the shield,” he wrote. “I fully intended to do it once again, but my time as a Lion is coming to an end. In the weeks since notifying the team of my return there have been numerous discussions, much of which were a surprise to me, and we could not find common ground. Therefore, I decided to request my release. I am opting for a clean and amicable close to what has been such a beautiful 10 years going to war as a Lion.”

A source confirmed that the team wanted Decker to take a pay cut. He was set to play on the second season of a three-year extension he signed in 2024. That included a $21.05 million cap hit with a $14.9 million base salary, $1.5 million roster bonus and $1.7 million in per game bonuses.

Under current leadership, the team has previously requested players take pay cuts when there are performance concerns. For example, in 2024, defensive end John Cominsky accepted one to stay with the team.

If Decker’s release is granted — and there’s little reason to believe it won’t be — it would clear $11.6 million in cap space, while leaving $9.44 million in dead money. Additionally, it would remove the entirety of his $24.15 million cap hit in 2027.

Decker, selected in the first round of the 2016 draft, has spent his entire 10-year career with the Lions. He’s made 140 starts, all at left tackle, as well as five postseason appearances.

Battling a nagging shoulder issue this season, his practice time was severely limited and sidelined him three games. He debated his future throughout the season and weighed retirement the two months after the campaign before recently announcing his intention to return.

Decker’s request for a release leaves the door open to finishing his career with another franchise. He closed his social media statement with appreciation for Lions fans.

“To the fans, a thank you is simply never enough,” Decker wrote. “You drive the game to be the absolute pinnacle (of) competition in our country. Coming from Ohio to Michigan, and being welcomed as a kid, but more importantly being forged as a man in Detroit is a point of pride for me. And we were able to fight, scratch and claw our way outg (sic) of the depths, and become one of the most feared franchises in the NFL. You were and always have been the most deserving fanbase of all the recent success. All love.”

With Decker’s departure, the Lions will enter the new league year in search of a new blindside blocker. Developmental project Giovanni Manu returns for his third season, but it’s expected the team will add another viable option in either free agency or, more likely, the upcoming draft.