Calvin Johnson and the Lions have had a chilly relationship since his abrupt retirement in 2015.
The 2021 Hall of Fame inductee holds the franchise record for receiving yards by nearly 2,500 and the receiving touchdowns record by 21. But he has kept his distance from the organization over the team forcing him to pay back part of his signing bonus upon his retirement. He infamously said, "They need to figure out a way to [pay me back] and not have me work for it."
That gap may be closing. Johnson told ESPN's Eric Woodyard that he would be willing to mentor Lions rookie wide receiver Jameson Williams, the No. 12 pick in this year's NFL Draft.
“I don’t mind being that person to help guys alleviate that learning curve, especially with him being drafted highly," Johnson told Woodyard. "So, it’s a lot of high expectations on [Williams]. I know what comes with that.”
Johnson, who was drafted No. 2 overall in 2007, had extremely high expectations due to being the Lions' fourth first-round wide receiver in five years. Charles Rogers, Roy Williams and Mike Williams all struggled to find their place in the league. Johnson exceeded the expectations that were set for him throughout his nine-year career.
Why did the Lions draft Jameson Williams?
While quarterback is a need for the Lions, they want to make sure that their QB of the future has a stable of weapons.
Amon-Ra St. Brown left a strong impression at the end of last season, and Josh Reynolds was impressive after being claimed off waivers from Titans. They still, however, needed a true No. 1 receiver. After the Saints took Chris Olave at No. 11, it became clear the wide receiver dominoes were about to fall. So the Lions traded up to select Williams.
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Williams has pressure on him. He's the first receiver the Lions have picked in the first round since the Matt Millen era. Lions fans are undoubtedly looking for a skill player to embrace the way they embraced Johnson.
What happened between Calvin Johnson and the Lions?
It's not uncommon for franchise icons to stay connected to their teams, particularly if they spent their whole careers with them. Johnson, however, left the Lions on less than ideal terms.
The Lions made Johnson pay back $1.6 million of his signing bonus upon his retirement, leading to him distancing himself from the team.
"I'm not going to close a chapter, but I'm not going to bend over backwards to try and do anything, because I didn't do anything. I did my job," Johnson said last season, per CBS Sports. "I'm not saying they've got to repay me the $1.6 (million) all up front, but they need to figure out a way to do it and not have me work for it. Because I already did the work for it."
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Johnson also mentioned other franchise icons he felt were respected by their respective teams.
"You see (Tony) Romo come out, you see Andrew Luck come out, you see how their owners take care of them," Johnson said. "When we were playing with the Lions, you see (ownership) out at practice, but that wasn't an everyday thing when I was playing . . . They just see us as, we're just pawns out there. We're just numbers. They don't see the personalities, they don't see the people."
What changed for Calvin Johnson?
If we apply Occam's Razor, it was money.
Sheila Ford Hamp became the Lions' principal owner and chairwoman in 2020, and the proximity to her rise in the organization and Johnson's willingness to work with young receivers on the team hardly seems coincidental.
Ford Hamp has taken strides to improve the organization, and her influence has shown in front office hirings and the general sentiment around the team. Indeed, the Lions honored Johnson during a halftime ceremony last September (which was marred by the fans booing Johnson), and there has been a concerted effort to marry the legacy of the team with its future.
Johnson becoming more involved with the Lions would be a very good thing, and the timing couldn't be better. Williams has a lot of pressure on his shoulders as the Lions look to move forward in their rebuild. No player is better equipped to teach him how to handle that pressure than Johnson.
