Two weeks ago, Taylor Decker was back. Now he's gone.
The longtime left tackle for the Lions has requested and received his release from the team a couple weeks after announcing his plans to play for an 11th season. It sounds like the Lions wanted Decker, who played through shoulder and knee injuries last season and carried a $21 million cap hit this year (and $24 million next), to take a pay cut, and he wasn't interested. He becomes a free agent.
"Things change," Decker wrote Friday in an Instagram post.
"I fully intended to (play) 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 ben numerous discussions. Many of which were a surprise to me, and we could not find common ground. Therefore I decided to request my release," said Decker.
With Decker's release, the Lions save $11.5 million against the cap this year, per Over The Cap, but have a gaping hole at left tackle. They could shift Penei Sewell to the left side, but would still have a major hole on the right.
A handful of free agent tackles could appeal to the Lions, who could also look to fill the void in the draft. Or both. But the Lions' longest-tenured player is out.
"I am opting for a clean and amicable close to what has been such a beautiful 10 years going to war as a Lion," Decker wrote.