Lions’ Left Tackle Shares Details of Shoulder Injury, Optimistic About Return

Detroit Lions left tackle Taylor Decker missed Week 10 due to a shoulder injury sustained during practice. He recently shed light on the nature of the injury, revealing a rotator cuff strain and a labrum irritation—both to the same shoulder he had surgically repaired in 2017. Decker’s condition was first flagged on the Lions’ practice report last Thursday, which led to him being sidelined against the Houston Texans.

“It Happened in Practice”: Decker Shares Injury Details

During a locker room conversation with reporters, Decker described how his shoulder injury developed, explaining, “It happened in practice, yeah. Rotator cuff strain, and then I’ve had shoulder surgery on this shoulder before with the labrum.” Adding to his frustration, Decker had also strained his pectoral muscle on the same side just a week prior, which may have influenced his current condition. “I know the play that happened that caused it, but I don’t know if it was maybe a compensation thing or whatnot,” he noted, hoping the setback won’t extend his recovery time.

The 2017 shoulder surgery, which kept Decker out for the first half of that season, came to mind when he felt pain in the same area. Though he remains hopeful, Decker acknowledged feeling some frustration about missing a game due to injury, a choice he ultimately felt was out of his hands.

Coaching Optimism for Week 11 Return

Despite the uncertainty, Lions head coach Dan Campbell has expressed optimism about Decker’s return for Week 11. Campbell noted that Decker participated in a recent walkthrough and hinted he might be ready for the upcoming game against the Jacksonville Jaguars. “As of right now, I do feel better about having Decker this week,” Campbell shared on Wednesday, mentioning that a full-speed practice on Thursday would be a more definitive indicator.

With his status listed as “limited” in the latest practice reports, Decker’s final test will come during a full-speed session, which could solidify his return for Sunday.