Calvin Johnson will always be known for his dominant run as an NFL wide receiver, but he's making a case to be just as known for the beef he has with his former NFL team. The retired receiver recently took another swipe at the Detroit Lions, appearing on a Behind The Mask Podcast that was re-posted this week with some pointed remarks about how Johnson's old team cares for its players -- or, rather, in his view, how it doesn't.
Asked by ex-NFL veterans Takeo Spikes and Tutan Reyes whether he has spoken with Barry Sanders, another Lions legend who retired earlier than expected, about his abrupt departure from Detroit, the 34-year-old Johnson suggested countless other players have been supportive of his distaste for the Lions -- who reportedly demanded he pay back at least $1 million of his contract upon hanging up his cleats in 2016.
"I'm sure one day we will be able to have that sit-down," Johnson said, "but I've talked to other players. I've talked to other players that played around Barry, and ... they said, like, 'Man, if we were able to do what you do and we were in your shoes and we were able to be in the position that you're in, we would've walked away, too.' And I hear that from multiple guys that played for the team, that played for the Lions. And I believe them."
Johnson has gone on record suggesting the Lions need to return the money he was forced to pay them back to mend the two sides' relationship. But he told Spikes and Reyes he realized Detroit cared more about money than its players after consulting with other teams in retirement. The six-time Pro Bowler worked with several teams -- including the Miami Dolphins and Oakland Raiders -- to "pour into some receivers," Johnson said, and those experiences helped confirm his stance on the Lions.
"First thing, I'm like, 'Whoa, this is how you should take care of your players,'" he said. "I go to Miami -- it ain't like Miami's winning, but they're taking care of their players ... I go to Oakland, I'm like, 'Damn, we don't have none of this in Detroit.'"
The Lions, Johnson said, simply didn't do enough to prioritize the well-being of their players, whether with nutrition plans or contract situations. And then he added his bluntest words yet.
"They run the Ford company," the receiver said, referencing Lions ownership. "That's probably their first priority, you know? They're about saving dollars."
Drafted second overall by the Lions in 2007, Johnson spent all nine seasons of his NFL career in Detroit before retiring following the 2015 season. A four-time All-Pro who twice led the league in receiving yards, he also holds the record for most receiving yards in a single season, with 1,964 in 2012, the same year he inked an eight-year, $132 million contract extension with the team.
