The Detroit Lions received a major boost for their 2026 campaign as veteran offensive tackle Taylor Decker officially announced his return for an 11th season. After weighing retirement following an injury-plagued 2025, Decker’s decision significantly alters the Lions‘ offseason roadmap.
Full analysis of Decker’s return, including discussion of his shoulder surgery, and the ramifications on the Lions’ free agency, NFL draft strategy
Here is an excerpt from my article originally posted at JimmyLiaoMD.com:
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What does the timing of Decker’s announcement tell us?
At the NFL combine on Feb. 24, Brad Holmes stated he didn’t expect to know Decker’s status for another couple weeks. Well, later that same day, Decker announced that he was going to return in 2026.
The Lions’ season ended on Jan. 4. That means that it took less than two months for Decker to feel confident enough in his shoulder recovery to announce a return. That’s a pretty favorable sign that a short amount of rest made a big impact on his symptoms. With the season still six months away, his shoulder should continue to heal and improve. – Jimmy Liao MD
What is Decker’s outlook for the 2026 season?
Even with an inability to practice, Decker still put together a solid, albeit painful, 2025 season. With a full offseason to rest, I would expect his 2026 season to be at least as good, if not better.
However, there is still an ongoing concern that his shoulder could get aggravated. He enters the 2026 season at 33 years old, so age is a factor in injury avoidance and injury healing.
Throw in a potential chronic toe issue (sesamoidectomy), and there are multiple body parts that will need to be managed throughout the season.
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This article originally appeared on Lions Wire: Detroit Lions injury analysis: Taylor Decker set for 2026 return