In his social media post announcing that he was requesting his release from the Detroit Lions, Taylor Decker made vague references to “surprising” conversations with the team that led him to this decision.
“In my weeks since notifying the team of my return there have been numerous discussion. Many of which were a surprise to me, and we could not find common ground. Therefore I decided to request my release,” Decker wrote on March 6.
This week, Decker sat down with Justin Rogers of Detroit Football
Network to reveal some details of how things fell apart so quickly.
Decker and the Lions both knew that retirement was clearly an option for the veteran left tackle who had publicly discussed how injuries and time away from family had started to wear on his 10-year football career. But according to Decker, in his pair of exit interviews with the team in January, two things were made clear for both sides:
- The Lions wanted him back
- Decker was not interested in taking a pay cut
However, when the two sides reconvened after Decker announced he’d be returning for an 11th season, he was blindsided when the team told his agent that the only way he’d be returning was if he was on a pay cut.
There wasn’t much discussion after that. Decker turned the offer down before the two sides even discussed numbers.
Earlier in the week, Lions general manager Brad Holmes offered his side of the situation, insisting the only thing that could have been considered surprising was the timing of Decker’s public announcement of his return. Although Decker said he talked to coach Dan Campbell the day before about his decision and tried to reach out to Holmes, but he did not get a responding call or text.
“I think a lot of those situations that happen, it all starts with communication and what you communicate with the player, what you communicate with the player’s agent, and so it starts there,” Holmes said. “There was really no surprises. Again, you don’t know when a player is going to put something out. So if you want to say there was a surprise, maybe it was that a surprise, but in terms of the decisions that he made, I wouldn’t say that that’d be a surprise.”
Decker insists there was a communication breakdown and surprises on his end. Whether it was Holmes not calling him back before Decker publicly announced his return, Detroit’s lack of clear communication on requesting a pay cut, or—more personally—the lack of outreach from anyone in team leadership to thank him for his time with the franchise after a decade of service, Decker is clearly not happy with how things ended.
Via Rogers:
But here’s what’s driving Decker crazy. This does feel a little personal. Since talking to Campbell on Feb. 23, he hasn’t heard from team leadership. There wasn’t a follow-up from his coach, Holmes never reached out, and Decker had to make first contact with position coach Hank Fraley, a man he publicly went to bat for when Campbell was hired.
After giving everything he had to the franchise for a decade, Decker expected more. He wanted to hear from his coach, from the general manager. He just wanted a simple “thank you” on his way out the door. And, just as badly, he wanted to say “thank you” for everything the organization has meant to and given to him.
While Holmes said “never say never” when it comes to a reunion with Decker, the veteran left tackle does not share that feeling. He views his divorce from the Lions as final, though he hopes to eventually sign a symbolic one-day contract in Detroit so he can retire a Lion and stay close to the organization.
You can view Rogers’ entire story on Decker over at Detroit Football Network.
