Taylor Decker is searching for a new team for the first time in his NFL career. A former first-round pick out of Ohio State by the Lions in 2016, Decker has been a rock-solid left tackle over the last decade. However, due to slightly declining play last season, a recent run of injuries and an unwieldy contract, the Lions chose to move on this offseason.

By PFF grade, 2025 marked Decker’s worst season since 2017. Even so, he graded out above league average, speaking to how good he’s been over the course of his career. It was also just a one-year dip — as recently as 2024, Decker graded as one of the better tackles in football. He’ll be entering his age-32 season in 2026, so he may never bounce back to rank near the top of the league again, but he could still have a few more quality seasons ahead of him.

Predicting Decker’s contract is a little tricky, but at this point, it’s clear he’s not viewed as a go-to option in free agency. That likely means he’s looking at a one-year deal, but he could still get something in the range of $10 million, likely on a short-term deal. 

As for landing spots, we can rule out the Packers. Some players don’t mind playing for former rivals, but Decker’s Detroit ties run deep and he publicly said he wouldn’t play in Green Bay. We can probably rule out the Bears and Vikings too as fellow NFC North rivals, though their left tackle needs aren’t as glaring anyway. Outside of that, it looks wide open. 

Decker, 32, is a former first-round pick of the Lions back in 2016. He was in the final year of a four-year, $10.967 million contract when the Lions picked up his fifth-year option.

Decker was set to make a base salary of $10,350,000 for the 2020 season and was in line to be an unrestricted free agent in 2021 before the Lions signed him to a six-year, $85 million deal.

Detroit re-signed Decker once again in July of 2024, when the two sides agreed on a three-year, $60 million extension. However, he was released following the 2025 season. 

In 2025, Decker appeared in and started 14 games for the Lions at left tackle. Pro Football Focus had him graded as the No. 39 tackle out of 84 qualifying players. 

We have him included in our Top 100 Available NFL Free Agents list. 

Dallas Cowboys

The Cowboys have a left tackle problem. Tyler Guyton hasn’t developed as planned since being selected in the first round in 2024, regressing last season and causing Dallas to re-evaluate the position long-term. Without any natural alternatives to Guyton — the Cowboys’ backup tackles are fourth-rounder Drew Shelton, Ajani Cornelius and Nate Thomas — it puts the team in a bit of a bind if they want to move away from the 2024 No. 29 pick.

The one option the Cowboys do have is to move Tyler Smith back out to tackle. A first-round pick in 2022, Smith played his rookie season at left tackle, but Dallas always viewed him as more of a guard. He was named a second-team All-Pro at left guard in 2023 and has established himself as one of the best young guards in the league since making the switch. Smith was a quality left tackle, too, but sliding him back out moves him away from his natural position. It also creates a hole at left guard that the Cowboys don’t have a great answer for.

Signing Decker wouldn’t solve any of the Cowboys’ long-term questions at left tackle, but he would be an upgrade over Guyton right away. Dallas invested a lot in their defense this offseason and has a real shot to win a wide-open NFC East. The last thing they can afford is a questionable left tackle position weighing down their offense.

Pittsburgh Steelers

The Steelers are a team that fits Decker’s timeline perfectly: they need a one-year stopgap solution at left tackle, but aren’t looking for a long-term fit. They selected Max Iheanachor out of Arizona State in the first round just a few months ago, and he’s the guy Pittsburgh is expecting to take the reins at that position in the future. Iheanachor is a bit of a project, though, and may not be ready to play as a rookie. Enter Decker.

Troy Fautanu took a big leap forward in his second season and looks to have stabilized the right tackle position. 2023 first-round pick Broderick Jones, however, is a much bigger problem on the other side of the line. Jones has been one of the worst tackles in the league since being drafted, and it should concern Steelers fans that he isn’t improving. With the caveat that a neck injury knocked out much of his second year, he’s largely been the same player through each of his first three seasons, and 2025 was arguably his worst yet.

Pittsburgh seems to be aware of this; it’s why they used a first-round pick on a tackle for the third time in the last four seasons. But if Iheanachor isn’t ready to go out of the gate, that still leaves the problem of what to do in 2026. Aaron Rodgers is back for (he says) his final season, and he doesn’t want to worry about Jones whiffing blocks on his blindside every snap. Bringing in Decker would dramatically raise the floor at that position.

Los Angeles Rams

The Rams’ potential interest in Decker depends entirely on what happens with Alaric Jackson, who was arrested on felony domestic violence charges last Monday. The arrest was said to be for “a person who willfully inflicts corporal injury against a spouse,” per ESPN. That’s a serious charge and it’s not the first time Jackson has dealt with trouble of this sort, as he served a two-game suspension in 2024 for violating the league’s personal conduct policy.

If Jackson doesn’t miss any time, the Rams are set at tackle. Jackson is a perfectly capable starter and Los Angeles is high on Warren McClendon Jr. on the other side, who started at right tackle down the stretch in 2025 in place of the injured Rob Havenstein.

But Jackson could be facing a multi-game suspension as a repeat offender. In that scenario, getting some insurance at one of the most important positions on the field would be important for a Rams team that believes it is the best team in the league.

Other teams to watch: Las Vegas Raiders, Kansas City Chiefs, Los Angeles Chargers