The fractured relationship between Hall of Famer Calvin Johnson and the Detroit Lions has been well publicized since the wide receiver’s abrupt retirement in 2016, but efforts to mend fences are progressing positively thanks to the team’s chief operating officer, Mike Disner, according to Johnson.
In an interview with the “Jim Rome Show,” Johnson gave Disner props for reaching out and trying to heal the wounds, indicating a likely resolution is at hand.
“Yeah, man, I think we’re having some good conversations,” Johnson said. “Mike Disner, over there with the Lions, he’s back in town. I feel like he’s going to make the effort to bring the two of us together, get us back on the same page. I’m excited about that. I’m excited about him actually reaching out and putting the effort forward to try to make that happen.
“That’s the difference that I have not seen in the past that’s happening now,” Johnson said. “So I’m excited about it, one, because I’ll be able to get back around football and be able to help out the team. Not that they need my help, but I have, I feel like, a lot of experience to share with those guys, whether it’s football or off the field. Definitely can be of value to the organization and I’m excited to just be around the team again, just be around football and allow my kids to see some of the things I was able do when I was in Detroit.”
Disner joined the Lions in 2019, three years after Johnson’s retirement. The Michigan native had spent the previous six years with the Arizona Cardinals, building a strong reputation as a salary cap manager and contract negotiator. In 2021, he played an integral part in the Lions’ coaching and general manager searches, earning a promotion to his current role shortly after those hires were made.
He’s been working at the behest of owner Sheila Hamp, who committed to continuing to work with Johnson in early 2021.
“We’re going to continue to reach out to him and hope that we can repair things because I think it’s important that he comes back into the Lions family,” Hamp said. “We’d love if he could, if he will.”
Johnson’s long-standing resentment stems from the team reclaiming a portion of his signing bonus following his retirement. And he’s been particularly vocal about his dislike of team president Rod Wood’s handling of the situation. Ahead of his Hall of Fame enshrinement ceremony in Canton in 2021, Johnson went as far to say, “If I pass Rod Wood, I’m going to keep moving.”
And while Johnson downplayed his ability to help the Lions, coach Dan Campbell clearly values having former players working with the roster, loading his coaching staff with NFL veterans. In particular, there’s an opportunity for Johnson to serve as a mentor to second-year receiver Jameson Williams, a role Johnson has previously said he’d be open to taking on.
“Gold jacket, somebody I look up to a lot,” Williams said when asked about Johnson last year. “It’s just going to be a blessing seeing somebody like that and hopefully he can give me some of the game and how things went for him here and I can just do some of the same things basically. So I’m looking forward to it if it happens.”
Johnson, who briefly played with Campbell in Detroit, has the utmost respect for the coach, highlighting his willingness to play through injuries as a testament to his character and commitment. And even though Johnson has remained at a distance through recent years, he’s kept close tabs on the job Campbell has done through two seasons as Detroit’s coach.
“I played with Dan, so I know he’s a soldier, and he’s getting the players to really believe in what he’s trying to do,” Johnson told Rome. “It takes somebody that’s been through 0-16, and been through those lows, to bring a team back like he’s done this year. I didn’t expect a whole lot out of them after the first half of the season, but the way they turned it around and they stepped up, it is amazing to see them push to try to get into a playoff run. I’m excited about what’s coming next year, especially with free agency around the corner. The draft, hopefully they can make some moves there, but I think free agency should be huge for the Lions this year if they want to take that next step.”
Repairing the relationship with Johnson could happen in time to coincide with the unveiling of a Barry Sanders statue at Ford Field ahead of this season. Interestingly, although the timing of their situations were slightly different, the Hall of Fame running back went through a similar experience as Johnson following his retirement, where the reclaiming of bonus money caused years worth of tension between the two sides, prior to the team hiring Sanders as a brand liaison in 2017.
Those issues took nearly two decades to resolve. For Johnson, it’s been seven years since he hung up the cleats. In nine seasons with the Lions, he set many of the franchise’s receiving records, finishing with 731 receptions for 11,619 yards and 83 touchdowns. A six-time Pro Bowler and three-time All-Pro, he was elected to the Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility.
jdrogers@detroitnews.com
Twitter: @Justin_Rogers
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