Week 2 of the 2026 NFL schedule brought a ton of positives for the New Orleans Saints, with the division lead tied between them and the Carolina Panthers. Following a victory over the Baltimore Ravens, the Saints have plenty of work left to do, but vibes were high heading home to the Caesars Superdome.
Unfortunately, that lasted all of about 12 hours, as Monday morning brought the execrable news that Kelvin Banks Jr. would be missing a significant amount of time, undergoing surgery for a high-ankle sprain. His status has been reported as "out indefinitely."
This left the Saints playing backup Asim Richards for the remainder of the game, who performed admirably against a pretty stout defensive front in Baltimore. That said, he has only ever started
four games in a single season total, and five total in his career, which leaves the team with a bit of a predicament.
With that said, there is an option on the free agent market who has 10 years of NFL experience, primarily as a left tackle, and brings a pedigree that few in the league have. That player is former Detroit Lions Pro Bowler Taylor Decker, who requested a release from the team this spring following contract negotiations falling through. Decker had the following to sayregarding the split and his future:
"Things change, 145 games started, 3 playoff appearances, 2 division titles, a decade carrying the shield, I fully intended to do it 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 been numerous discussions. Many of which were a surprise to me, and we could not find common ground. Therefore, I decided to request my release.
“I am opting for a clean and amicable close to what has been such a beautiful 10 years going to war as a Lion.
“It has been the absolute privilege of my life to be your LT for the past 10 years. And I am forever grateful for the opportunity the Ford family and Lions organization afforded me."
It seems relatively clear that Decker intended to play in 2026, and he never formally retired in any capacity, so it is safe to reason that he would consider returning for the right scenario. With a young, up-and-coming Saints team desperately needing an influx of talent in the run-blocking department, Decker could be a good addition. That said, a shoulder injury in 2025 held him out of practice throughout the year, and it could stand to reason that could be what ended his tenure.
In terms of cap space, Over The Cap has New Orleans sitting with $7,209,249 in their pockets currently, which, with how the Saints structure their deals around incentives and long-term payouts, could be enough to feasibly get Decker for the remaining 15 games plus potential playoff matchups.
With 140 career starts to his name, Decker is exactly the type of veteran presence that would work well alongside David Edwards on the left side and would make an already relatively solid offensive line truly outstanding. Ultimately, it will come down to whether or not New Orleans is willing to part with the money, and whether or not they believe Asim Richards can be a viable long-term option.
This article originally appeared on Saints Wire: Do Saints have the opportunity Taylor Decker has been waiting for?
