Veteran left tackle Taylor Decker is officially no longer a member of the Detroit Lions following a contract dispute. He announced last week that he requested a release from the team owing to disagreements over being able to find common ground on a new contract, and that request was made official on Monday.
The Lions announced via social media that Decker, Detroit’s 2016 first-round (16th overall) pick, had been released.
However, they made sure to post a message of thanks to him as he departed.
“Thank you for a decade of grit, Taylor Decker,” the message read.
Reaction to the news of Decker’s official release varied from disappointment, to contentment with his departure, to wishing him well in his future NFL endeavors.
One fan said, “Honestly in disbelief that his tenure ended like that, but will wish him the best nonetheless.”
“Now we can replace him with someone younger and someone who doesn’t get beat a lot and can actually stay on the field for more than a handful of games the last 2 seasons,” wrote another fan.
This fan wrote, “Farewell Decker. You’ll always be remembered as the guy who got the two point conversion but then got called for illegal touching even though you clearly reported.”
Finally, this fan said, “The dude deserves the best. Good luck out there!!”
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Former Detroit Lions Left Tackle Taylor Decker Sent A Special Message To Fans
Decker sent out a special notice to fans of the Lions, not only explaining that he decided to seek a release from the team he’d played for over the last 10 seasons but also thanking the fans along with the organization and the Ford family for their support.
“Things change, 145 games started, 3 playoff appearances, 2 division titles, a decade carrying the shield. I fully intended to do it once again, but my time as a Lion is coming to an end,” Decker’s statement read. “In the weeks since notifying the team of my return, there have been numerous discussions. Many 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.
“It has been the absolute privilege of my life to be your LT for the past 10 years. And I am forever grateful for the opportunity the Ford family and Lions organization afforded me. To the fans, a thank you is simply never enough. 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 into a man in Detroit is a point of pride for me.
“And we were able to fight, scratch, and claw our way out 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.”
Detroit Lions Fans Split On Taylor Decker’s Release