The beleaguered Lions offensive line is getting its most important player back.
Lions left tackle Taylor Decker has been cleared to practice today, the team announced this afternoon. It will be Decker’s first practice since injuring his shoulder in June.
The Lions made Decker their first-round draft pick last year and he started all 16 games as a rookie. When he got hurt it was a big blow to the Lions’ offense, and Matthew Stafford has struggled behind the Lions’ patchwork offensive line, although last week fill-in left tackle Brian Mihalik played reasonably well.
Now that Decker is practicing, the Lions can move him from the physically unable to perform list to the active roster any time in the next three weeks. It’s unclear when Decker will be on the field for the Lions, who play the Packers on Monday night. But it appears he’s getting close, and that’s very good news in Detroit.