Recapping an emotional and powerful Taylor Decker press conference following his three-year contract extension.
Minutes after signing his three-year, $60 million extension with the Detroit Lions , left tackle Taylor Decker stepped in front of the monster Meijer podium with his daughter Daisy in tow to speak to the media. It was an emotional moment for Decker, as the signing of this contract—his third with the Lions—represents a real chance to reach a goal he’s stated multiple times throughout his career: starting and finishing his NFL career with the same franchise.
“It’s not lost on me on the fact that a lot of guys don’t get to spend their whole career with one team,” Decker said. “Hopefully, that’s in the cards for me. And from the contract extension, that seems like it’s in the cards. I’m very fortunate and I’ve gotten to have some good luck along the way, but there was also a lot that went into it.”
The appeal for staying in Detroit is wide-spanning. For one, he still gets to play with teammates that have become lifelong friends. He’s played alongside Frank Ragnow for six straight years. He’ll have Graham Glasgow playing right next to him this year, just like he did back in their respective rookie seasons in 2016.
But there’s also the excitement of being part of an organization that is doing everything right. The last time Decker signed an extension was at the tail end of the Matt Patricia era, and his new contract with Dan Campbell and Brad Holmes at the helm represents a new phase of his career where the team will be expected to win championships.
“I pretty much had no interest in going to another team,” Decker said. “I wanted to be here. A big factor in that is the guys I get to play with, and I want to continue to play with them because they’re important to me. I think the offensive and defensive line, based on how the drafts have gone, based on the quality of player they’ve brought in, you can see that it’s definitely a focus of the organization.”
Decker knows he’s not getting any younger. Next month, he’ll turn 31, and he sees the team around him getting younger and younger. That’s why he has worked so hard to continue to find ways to improve, and it’s why he has no plans on growing complacent, even with a new contract signed.
“As you get older, there’s going to be an influx of new players every single year that are gunning for your job, or guys you are playing against, and that’s something I’ve really strived to keep myself at a level of play, or get better,” Decker said. “And I think I’m in my prime. I still think I am. I think I’ll be able to play as long as I want to, knock on wood, barring any freak accidents.”