In 2021, the Detroit Lions struggled to a 3-13-1 record and part of the reason for their struggles was that LT Taylor Decker was only able to play in nine games.
But when Decker did finally return to the lineup, the Lions’ offense played much better as the team went 3-2-1 to end the season.
As the 2022 regular season approaches, there has been plenty of chatter about the Lions having one of the Top 5 (or better) offensive lines in the NFL and a healthy Taylor Decker is a big reason why.
Detroit Lions ‘best contract’ goes to LT Taylor Decker
According to Brad Spielberger over at Pro Football Focus, LT Taylor Decker currently has the best contract on the Detroit Lions.
Here is what Spielberger has to say about Decker’s team-friendly contract:
DETROIT LIONS: LT TAYLOR DECKER (FOUR YEARS, $59.65 MILLION | THREE YEARS, $42.65 MILLION IN CASH REMAINING)
Detroit has a formidable tackle tandem in Taylor Decker and 2021 first-round pick Penei Sewell, and between Decker’s strong value extension and Sewell’s rookie deal, the Lions will get tremendous surplus value from both over the next three years.
Injuries kept Decker off the field to start the 2021 campaign, but he eventually picked up right where he left off, earning a 75.5 overall grade with an 84.0 pass-blocking grade. Over the past four seasons, Decker has allowed pressure on just 5.3% of pass-blocking reps, a top-20 mark among left tackles. The former first-round pick is set to bookend one of the stronger offensive lines in the NFL in 2022.
Nation, if Taylor Decker and the rest of the Detroit Lions’ offensive line can stay healthy in 2022, you can bet they will emerge as one of the most-dominant groups in the entire NFL.
