In a normal offseason, Taylor Decker and the Lions would be talking about an extension. Maybe the deal would already be done. The two sides began talks back in the spring, and Decker had an idea of what to expect based on conversations with friends and former teammates.
But this has been anything but a normal offseason. First a global pandemic shut down the league. Then protests around the country sparked team-wide conversations about social and racial injustice. Contract talks naturally took a backseat.
"There were a lot more important things for us as a team to focus on, and I'm great with that," Decker told reporters on a Zoom call Thursday. "We had great conversations as a team about COVID, great questions about how to keep your family healthy, great questions about protesting and activism. We had great conversations about that.
"So no skin off my back about it. Like I said, I had an idea of what it was going to be like, but we're in a different time than I was then."
Decker, who turns 27 this month, is entering the final season of his rookie contract. The former first-round pick had a terrific debut in 2016, but his play has leveled off a bit in the years since, starting with a shoulder injury in 2017.
Still, it sounds the Lions would like to get him locked up long term. That would give them three core pieces on the offensive line along with newly-signed right tackle Halapoulivaati Vaitai and center Frank Ragnow.
"Like I said back in the spring, we had initial conversations of, 'We like you, we like you,' kind of courting, I guess. But again, it's something that I'm letting my agent handle for now, because for me, if I don't play good ball, none of that is going to matter, especially given these weird times we're in," Decker said.
GM Bob Quinn has spent heavily on the offensive line since taking over in 2016, with varying degrees of success. Decker was his first investment. The Lions will pay him $10.4 million this season, and it will take more than that to keep him around. That's the value of a left tackle in the NFL.
Quinn prefers to get these extensions hammered out before the season begins. The Lions have an even bigger one to consider for Kenny Golladay. But with so much uncertainty looming over the 2020 season, the natural thing to do is wait.
And Decker, who said he doesn't know whether his agent is in talks with the Lions right now, is content to sit tight.
"It's just uncharted territory for everybody, for the organization, for my agent. At this point, every day is new for me in the building, so I'm just trying to get that figured out right now and just having a level of understanding that it's a complicated situation," he said. "It's not like every other year before where guys would be going into free agency and business as usual.
"So just (trying) to be adaptable with that situation and take it day by day, because you don't know what the situation is going to be."
Of one thing, Decker is sure. He has no issue playing this season amid the coronavirus. He said he never considered opting out.
"I said it back in the spring, I'm not personally concerned. I know my family trusts me to make the best decision and I don't think they're necessarily concerned for me, but I'm going to do my best to not put my family at risk in any way that I can," he said.
Decker added he respects any teammates who feel otherwise. WR Geronimo Allison and DT John Atkins have opted out of the season due to concerns about the virus.
"Those are personal and private decisions for them and everybody's been respectful of them, said Decker. "However anybody wants to approach that, your health and safety is paramount. I understand that."
