The Detroit Lions are aiming to repair the team’s relationship with Calvin Johnson.
The legendary receiver and the team have had a very frosty relationship ever since he was forced to repay signing bonus money when he retired. (RELATED: David Hookstead Is The True King In The North When It Comes To College Football)
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Forcing star players to repay signing bonus money pretty much never happens in the NFL, and Johnson and the Lions haven’t been close since.
Owner Sheila Ford Hamp told the media Thursday that she wouldn’t discuss the money openly, but the goal is to “repair” the relationship between the two sides.
“I hope we can repair things with Calvin Johnson,” Lions owner Sheila Ford Hamp said.
“We’re going to continue to reach out to him, and hope that we can repair things.” pic.twitter.com/ySgqApdQiw
— Brad Galli (@BradGalli) January 21, 2021
As a lifelong fan of the Lions, I think the way the Calvin Johnson situation has been handled is nothing short of disgusting.
The fact that the team made him repay signing bonus money, which is believed to be somewhere in the range of a million dollars, is embarrassing.
One of the most athletically-gifted WRs ever.
With one of the greatest nicknames ever.Enjoy Megatron’s career highlights! ???? (via @nflthrowback) @calvinjohnsonjr pic.twitter.com/uqtlGBLK1W
— NFL (@NFL) March 27, 2020
It’s not like Johnson quit because he just felt like it. The man’s body was decimated. He gave everything he had for the team and city.
How was he thanked when he finally got to the end of the road? The team demanded money! It’s truly pathetic.
Give him his damn money back and welcome him back to the team. It’s what fans want to see and it’s the right thing to do.