DETROIT (AP) 鈥� offensive tackle has decided to return for an 11th season.
Decker announced his plans Tuesday on social media.
The 32-year-old Decker endured a shoulder injury for much of last year and acknowledged after the season that he was considering retirement.
鈥淚 want to make this decision moving forward informed,鈥� Decker said in January after Detroit finished 9-8 and missed the playoffs. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 want to make it emotionally because if I make it emotionally, I already know what the answer is going to be.鈥�
The Lions gave Decker time to make the call but wanted to avoid the timing that affected their plans on the offensive line last year when four-time Pro Bowl retired in June, months after the draft and the start of free agency.
Decker signed a , three-year extension that put him under contract through the 2027 season as a key player in .
Detroit drafted Decker out of Ohio State with the No. 16 overall pick in 2016.
With the offensive line as a strength, the Lions won two playoff games in a season for the first time since 1957 when they reached the NFC championship after the 2023 season. The following year, they had a franchise-record 15 wins when they won a second straight division title before losing in the divisional round.
Decker, a native of Vandalia, Ohio, has played 140 games, all starts, for the Lions.
鈥淚t鈥檚 not lost on me on the fact that a lot of guys don鈥檛 get to spend their whole career with one team, and hopefully that鈥檚 in the cards for me,鈥� Decker said in 2024.
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