Why Taylor Decker isn't playing for Detroit Lions in Week 17 vs. Minnesota Vikings

The Detroit Lions won't have the services of left tackle Taylor Decker during the Week 17 game against the Minnesota Vikings.

Decker was a late addition to the injury report on Thursday morning and has officially been ruled out by the Lions, according to the team's list of inactives.

Here's why Decker isn't suiting up for the Lions' most important game of the 2025 campaign on Thursday.

Why Taylor Decker is inactive vs. Vikings

Decker was added to the injury report and listed as questionable ahead of kickoff due to an illness and apparently wasn't able to gut it out.

It isn't clear what exactly Decker is dealing with, but we know the Lions have had a bug going around the locker room this week, as veteran running back David Montgomery and cornerback Khalil Dorsey were both sick.

Dorsey and Montgomery were both questionable going into the weekend, but both players are active for Detroit on Thursday.

Losing Decker is a tough blow for a Lions offensive line that has struggled in 2025.

With Decker sidelined, the Lions will likely deploy Dan Skipper at left tackle, as he's the next man up on Detroit's depth chart.

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