Poor Detroit.
Widely considered one the worst sports cities in the country had another dark moment Friday afternoon, when three-time All-Pro Calvin Johnson expressed his feelings about Matthew Stafford’s departure from the Lions.
“I am happy for [Stafford],” Johnson said on “The Hook” on Thursday. “He is good where he is at. I look forward to seeing him out there.”
Johnson talked to his former teammate — the new Los Angeles Rams quarterback — this week and reported that Stafford is enjoying life on the West Coast.
The Lions traded Stafford this offseason after 12 years with the franchise, but did not grant Johnson the same treatment during his nine-season tenure. The receiver known as “Megatron”, who retired from football in 2016, twice led the NFL in receiving yards and yards per game, but the team finished below .500 seven times — including a 0-16 effort in 2008. He retired in 2016.
“You know what, it sucked that they didn’t let me go, but they let [Stafford] go,” Johnson said. “But hey, you know, it is what it is.”
Johnson added that he would have gone anywhere, including the Raiders, and added he loves Stafford and has no hard feelings toward his former QB.
The Lions and the record-breaking wide receiver have had a rocky relationship, amplified after the 35-year-old abruptly retired. Though Johnson was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2021, he and the Lions are nowhere near making up.
“I’m not back in the family with the Lions or anything like that,” Johnson said. “It would be nice if they try to resolve things, but that’s neither here nor there.”