Lions continue to pay local talent with solid Taylor Decker extension

The Detroit Lions seem convinced they have something special on their hands this season. They have spent the better part of the offseason handing key players from their NFC Championship series new extensions, ensuring they will remain in Honolulu blue for years to come.

Right tackle Penei Sewell just signed a contract that makes him the highest-paid player at his position in the NFL, while wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown parlayed his 119-catch season into a new deal that will pay him approximately $30 million per season. Next in line is left tackle Taylor Decker.

Jared Goff is set to take center in Detroit after a spectacular 2023 campaign, meaning Dan Campbell and Brad Holmes’ top priority will be to ensure he has the best possible offensive line. Decker came alive last season, and the former Ohio State star was rewarded with a deal that puts him on par with some of the league’s best tacklers.

Decker, in the final year of his contract, signed a three-year, $60 million extension that will keep him in Detroit through the 2027 season. Decker’s new deal ranks seventh in average annual value among left tackles and fourth among tackles 30 or older.

A new deal in Detroit: Lions left tackle Taylor Decker has agreed to a three-year, $60 million extension, sources said.

Decker entered the final year of a deal that would have paid him $13.7 million and is now under contract through the 2027 season.

Deal has been negotiated… photo.twitter.com/oLLNbyfLSG

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) July 29, 2024

The 2016 first-round pick remains one of the most underrated players in the league. Despite never making a Pro Bowl or All-Pro team, Decker is an above-average left tackle who is a linchpin of arguably the best offensive line in the NFL.

Decker’s Pro Football Focus numbers back up any film that confirms his status as a top-end tackle. Knowing that Goff isn’t the most mobile quarterback in the world, Holmes and the front office have wisely invested a ton of money into keeping their best line in the league together.

With Decker at left tackle and Sewell on the other side, both tackle positions are set. Kevin Zeitler is a solid replacement for the departed Jonah Jackson, and both left guard Graham Glasgow and center Frank Ragnow retain their starting roles through the 2024 season.

Rather than chase the latest shiny objects in free agency, the Lions are rewarding themselves by keeping their own draft picks in town. Given the swelling offensive tackle market, getting Decker at that price in his prime is a good deal for both player and team.