The Detroit Lions‘ offensive line took two major hits heading into the 2025 season and more pain is likely on the horizon for the struggling unit.
Starting left tackle Taylor Decker, a Pro Bowler in 2024 who has spent the entirety of his 10-year NFL career in Detroit, may decide to retire this offseason. However, if he doesn’t, ESPN’s Aaron Schatz expects the franchise will release him at some point in the coming weeks due to a significant drop off in play year-over-year from his Pro-Bowl campaign to last season.
“The Lions will cut left tackle Taylor Decker if he does not retire,” Schatz predicted earlier this week. “He will be 33 years old next season and has had issues with shoulder injuries. Through Week 17 in 2025, he fell to 43rd out of 70 ranked tackles in pass block win rate, and he ranks 61st in run block win rate.”
That production trajectory is a hard sell on a three-year extension worth $60 million, which runs through 2027 and carries a $21.35 million salary cap hit next year as well as a $24.1 million cap hit two seasons from now.
Lions Could Use Taylor Decker’s Salary Cap Savings for Crucial Roster Maintenance, Upgrades
GettyLeft tackle Taylor Decker of the Detroit Lions.
Detroit can save $18.2 million in each of the next two seasons by cutting Decker with a post-June 1 designation this offseason, incurring dead cap hits of just $3.148 million for the next three years (2026-28).
The Lions are currently $5 million in the red with regards to their salary cap in 2026, and cutting Decker alone would erase that debt and add $13 million in space for the team to begin rebuilding the offensive line into a younger group and/or add to the pass-rush alongside superstar defensive end Aidan Hutchinson.
Detroit has a significant decision to make on edge-rusher Al-Quadin Muhammad who put up a career year with 11 sacks in 2025 in his age-30 campaign. His previous high in a season was six sacks, and the defensive end never surpassed three sacks at any other point during his NFL tenure.
Spotrac projects Muhammad’s market value at nearly $16.5 million over a new two-year contract ($8.2 million annually). Moving on from Decker would not just erase the Lions’ current cap debt in full, it would cover Muhammad at that contract projection in 2026 and leave $5 million for the Lions to reallocate elsewhere — most likely to an improvement along the offensive line.
Taylor Decker May Retire, Save Lions Trouble of Cutting Him
GettyOffensive linemen Penei Sewell (left) and Taylor Decker (right) of the Detroit Lions.
Decker spoke about his own considerations of retirement ahead of the team’s regular season finale against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field last weekend.
“Taylor Decker says he hasn’t made a decision on retirement and didn’t want to bring any attention to himself by speaking on his timeline during an emotional state,” ESPN’s Eric Woodyard reported on December 31.
If Week 18 was, in fact, Decker’s last game then he went out on a high. Detroit finished the year with a 19-16 victory in Chicago, sweeping the NFC North Division champion Bears in 2025 and finishing the campaign with a winning record (9-8).
Lions Expected to Cut Ties With $21 Million Starter in Coming Weeks