An incredible contract extension was inked by an Ohio State Buckeyes athlete of exceptional potential.

An incredible contract extension was inked by an Ohio State Buckeyes athlete of exceptional potential.

The Detroit Lions are still a formidable team. After an offseason that produced extensions for quarterback Jared Goff, wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown and offensive lineman Penei Sewell. It was Taylor Decker’s turn on Monday.

Decker and the Lions agreed to a $60 million three-year contract deal. The guaranteed salary for the former Ohio State standout lineman is $31.83 million, as reported by Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports NFL Insider.

Decker signed a five-year deal in 2020, and he was about to enter his final season. According to Over the Cap, this agreement puts him in the top ten most paid offensive linemen in the NFL with an average annual salary of $20 million.

After an incredible four years at Ohio State, Decker was chosen by Detroit with the 16th overall choice in the first round of the 2016 NFL Draft. Decker has been a member of the Lions throughout his whole professional career. He forced his way into the starting left tackle position during the 2016 preseason and hasn’t taken it off since.

Decker, who was originally brought in to cover quarterback Matthew Stafford’s blindside, has performed admirably in the NFL. He is the player with the longest contract with the Lions, having made 112 starts in eight seasons with the team.

The Pro Football Writers Association named Decker to their 2016 All-Rookie Team. He has also only ever caught one pass in his career, which was an 11-yard touchdown in the last week of the 2018 campaign. Decker assisted Detroit in winning the playoffs for the first time since 1991 and advancing to the NFC Championship Game last season.

Jim Bollman, Ohio State’s offensive line coach at the time, declined to offer the four-star prospect a scholarship, making him the nation’s No. 19 offensive tackle in the 2012 recruiting class, according to 247Sports Composite. The prospect committed to Notre Dame straight out of high school.

Decker’s goal in recruiting for the Scarlet and Gray was abruptly altered when Urban Meyer joined the Buckeyes. In the end, the native of Vandalia, Ohio decided to transfer from the Irish to Ohio State.

With a stature of 6 feet 8 inches and 315 pounds, Decker exceeded expectations while at Ohio State, where he played in all 12 games as a backup and eventually earned the starting right tackle position in his sophomore season. During his junior year, Decker switched to left tackle and became one of the best players in the nation, making the second team of the Big Ten.

Decker and the Buckeyes won the Big Ten that year, advanced to the inaugural College Football Playoffs, and took home the national title. Decker’s play earned him a spot on the 2014 All-Big Ten second team.

After his junior year, Decker had the option to enter the NFL right away, but he decided to stay back for his senior year in order to further his career. He paved the way for Ohio State’s offensive line, which placed third in the nation in terms of scoring, eleventh in terms of rushing, and fourth in terms of overall offense. Decker’s Buckeye career came to an end when he was selected to the first team of the Conference and was voted a consensus first-team All-American.

Decker can now concentrate on his career with the Lions and helping Detroit win a championship after signing the agreement.