The Detroit Lions and Calvin Johnson’s relationship has been strained since his retirement but there’s a solution that could satisfy both parties and could happen before the 2019 season.
The catalyst for the tense relationship stems from one simple factor: money.
When Johnson retired in 2015, the Lions elected to pursue compensation by reclaiming a portion of his signing bonus. According to league rules, the Lions were allowed to ask for up to $3.2 million of the prorated bonus, all of which they could use to free up salary cap room. The two parties met with an arbitrator and settled on a deal somewhere around $1 million (original reports had the number closer to $320,00 but it was later updated).
The act of requesting compensation after an early retirement is something every team in the NFL can do — it’s happening right now between the Seattle Seahawks and Malik McDowell — but it’s rare and often a frowned upon practice as it obviously strains relationships.
Unfortunately, the Lions have been down this path before with Barry Sanders, although under different circumstances, but nonetheless ended with the same result. The Lions and Sanders have since mended their relationship, and Sanders is currently in a paid position for the organization as a brand ambassador for the team.
“My advice to Calvin,” Sanders said via Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. “I don’t know, I think we’ll always see him as a Lion, so the sooner they can mend it the better. I think most of his fans have great memories of him and, yeah, we just see him as one of us so hopefully, yeah, they can mend things.”
Lions president Rod Wood recently said at the Taste of the Lions event that mending the relationship with Johnson was a priority and he hoped to reach common ground before Johnson entered the Hall of Fame — Johnson is eligible to be part of the 2021 class and most expect him to be a first-ballot addition.
“I haven’t really talked to Calvin in the last little bit,” Wood said via Justin Rogers of the Detroit News. “It’s kind of funny that you asked. I had it on my agenda today to talk internally about some things to re-approach him about getting back involved. That’s on the agenda this year, reaching out to him. We have Barry coming in this week for a couple events and I want to try to find a way to do something similar to what we’ve been doing with Barry (Sanders), if Calvin would be interested.”
Is Johnson interested?
“They already know what they got to do,” Johnson said to Birkett the Free Press. “The only way they’re going to get me back is they put that money back in my pocket. Nah, you don’t do that. I don’t care what they say. They can put it back, then they can have me back. That’s the bottom line.”
What’s the solution?
For the Lions, the answer should be straightforward and simple. Ask Johnson to take on a similar role as Sanders as a team ambassador, knowing that they will likely have to compensate him the entire $1 million they originally ask for back. It may be a pride-swallowing salary for the team but in the end, they get what they want.
For Johnson, the solution shouldn’t be any more complicated. He has shown he is committed to the community offering free football camps in Michigan, attempting to open a business in the state, attended last year’s home opener versus the New York Jets on Monday Night Football and has said it’s only about the money.
Bottom line, if mending this relationship is as important to Lions as they say publicly then they should find the money, and if it’s all about money to Johnson as he has claimed, then he should be willing to entertain an offer.
The Hall of Fame clock gives them less than two years to find common ground and a path is there for everyone to be satisfied as long as they’re both willing to listen.
