There is a good chance Taylor Decker makes his season debut Sunday for the Detroit Lions after taking first-team left tackle reps Friday for the third straight practice.
“High,” Lions coach Dan Campbell said when asked to put a percentage on Decker’s return. “High percentage. Higher than 50(%).”
Decker has not played since injuring his left index finger four days before the Lions’ season-opening loss to the San Francisco 49ers.
He suffered a setback in his initial attempt to return last month, but was a full participant in practice every day this week.
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Campbell said Decker has looked “pretty good” in practice and said the team will make a final decision on Decker’s availability — and whether he will have any playing time restrictions — after seeing how he makes it through Friday’s practice.
“He’s been working his rear off while he’s been getting this thing back, rehabbing,” Campbell said. “So he’s in very good shape. Now, we all know football is different, and so I think we’ll see how it goes. But I think if anybody could (play a full game after three practices), it would be him.”
Decker’s pending return should help stabilize an offensive line that was expected to be the Lions’ strength this fall.
Rookie first-round pick Penei Sewell moved from right to left tackle after Decker’s injury, and swing tackle Matt Nelson started the first eight games at right tackle.
Sewell has practiced at right tackle this week and is expected to make his first career start at the position Sunday, with Nelson coming off the bench.
Campbell said Decker’s return should help the 0-8 Lions in other areas, too.
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“It’s all encompassing because not only is he a talented player, he’s big, he’s long, he’s got really good feet, but he is,” Campbell said. “I mean, he’s smart. He’s very smart. He’s a student of the game, he gets it, he’s done it for a while. And so, just that level of experience too with the talent sure does, it helps.”
Contact Dave Birkett at dbirkett@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @davebirkett.