It came up on a talk show Monday morning, but there’s no question what the Detroit Lions should do with Calvin Johnson’s jersey number.
Calvin Johnson followed in Barry Sanders’ footsteps as a Detroit Lions star who retired early, as he called it a career after just nine seasons. Then the team asked for, and got, a portion of his signing bonus back.
Though the relationship seems to be in a better place, that money situation has driven a wedge between Johnson and the Lions’ organization. Johnson has said the situation won’t be all the way good until that money is returned to him.
On a recent episode of his podcast, Richard Sherman called Johnson “arguably the best player I ever played against.
Your hands are beyond full the entire game when dealing with him,” Sherman said, “because not only can he give you a long day and score points and do all that, but it might likely be an embarrassing play that’s gonna live on the internet forever.”
Retiring Calvin Johnson’s number is not even a question for the Detroit Lions
On NFL Network’s “Good Morning Football” Monday morning, guest host DeAngelo Hall had Johnson’s No. 81 as one that should be retired as part of a segment where each host named a jersey number teams should retire.
Just what Calvin Johnson means to Detroit, right. You think of Barry Sanders and Calvin Johnson as the greatest Lions of all-time,” “He was a freak of nature. Way before his time. He changed the game. He was a tight end who was fast enough to play receiver and could move like a receiver. Just one of the hardest dudes that I had to cover.”
Johnson was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2021, with an acknowledgement at Ford Field during last season. No one on the current Lions’ roster is wearing No. 81, and no one should ever wear it again in Detroit.
To Sheila Ford Hamp, Chris Spielman or whoever has to drive the conversation, this is the bottom line when it comes to retiring Johnson’s number–Get it done, and the sooner the better.