The Detroit Lions are going through some pretty significant changes within the interior of their offensive line in 2025. In the upcoming season, the offensive tackle position may be time to prepare for a transition.
Dan Skipper has retired and the Lions are waiting for left tackle Tyler Decker to make a decision on his football future. But no matter what Decker decides is best for him, the Lions would be wise to go into the offseason with a change in mind.
advertise
Let’s take a deeper look in our latest Detroit Lions position review and offseason preview.
Before:
Lions 2025 Review: Offensive Tackles
-
Tyler Decker statistics (14 games):
-
67.9 PFF grade — Ranked 40th out of 86 qualified OTs
-
69.5 Pass Blocking Rating — 39th of 82
-
62.1 Operational Blocking Level — 56 of 86
-
-
Penny Sewell Statistics (16 games):
-
95.1 PFF grade—1st of 86 qualified OTs
-
80.3 Pass Blocking Rating – 8th of 82
-
96.8 Running Blocking Level — 1 of 86
-
-
Dan Skipper (12 games, 5 starts):
-
50.5 PFF Rating—Unsatisfactory
-
Penei Sewell continued to have an incredible season in 2025, although he doesn’t think it was his best year. He was once again named a first-team All-Pro and is expected to receive the inaugural Defender of the Year Award, which will be announced later this week.
Decker has battled shoulder injuries all season. This required him to miss most of his weekly training sessions as well as intense rehabilitation and pre-habilitation sessions. Despite his physical condition, Decker still had an above-average season. He did have his lowest-graded season and worst pass-blocking grade (69.5) since 2017, but that speaks more to how underrated he is. He’s still very capable of being a solid, dependable left tackle in the league.
advertise
But throughout the season, Decker has spoken about his thoughts on retirement. The shoulder injury clearly took a toll on him mentally as he contemplated his future with his family. At the end of the year, Decker made it clear that his football career would be over if he made an immediate decision. But he wanted to take a break from the emotional moment to gather more information about his health and make a decision about his future later.
“If this was my future, continuing to play — that’s not something I’d be willing to do. Because I wouldn’t be willing to put my family through this,” Decker said after his final season with the Lions. “I’m not willing to distance myself and be a father now because your kids are only small once and, God willing, we have more. I want to be able to play with them. I want to be able to throw the ball with them. I mean, I can’t throw the football right now. No way. But under the right circumstances, can I (play football in 2026)? Maybe. But I need to go through the process.”
Manu didn’t make the jump to OT3 that some had hoped. Instead, he battled injuries, missing the final three months of the season with a knee injury.
Outlook 2026
Currently under contract:
-
Penei Sewell (signed until 2029)
advertise
Pending free agents:
-
Jamalko Jones (unrestricted)
-
Chris Hubbard (street free agent, available to sign now)
While the Lions could theoretically have Sewell, Decker and Manu as their top three tackles in 2026, Decker’s potential retirement — coupled with Dan Skipper’s already announced retirement — should immediately change Detroit’s strategy.
The Lions found themselves somewhat flat-footed at center last year after Frank Ragnow retired after the draft. They might be able to play Graham Glasgow at center and rookie Tate Rutledge at right guard, but the interior offensive line just isn’t holding up. The Lions can’t afford to make the same mistake again.
Detroit needs to be prepared for Dekker to retire this offseason, whether that ultimately happens or not. That means, at the very least, adding a starting tackle in free agency. Sure, they can (and should) consider using their first or second-round pick on an offensive tackle, but they can’t just wait and see if their top choice lands on them in the draft. They don’t need to aggressively get their player into the draft and spend valuable draft resources or risk seeing if he falls into their hands, they need a Plan A to ensure they have flexibility in the draft.
advertise
To be fair, finding a starting tackle in free agency is no easy task. Teams don’t usually let quality starting offensive linemen walk away in free agency. But there are some interesting players who do have some issues, including Jonah Williams, Rob Havenstein and Jermaine Elumuno.
If Decker ends up staying, yes, it would be a little strange to have another starter on the roster — especially one who’s probably already signed and expected to start. But it still makes sense for the Lions to have a contingency plan in place and have another strong depth option now that Skipper has retired. Simply put, regardless of Decker’s decision, offensive tackle needs to be a priority.