If Calvin Johnson and Matthew Stafford are going to be the future of the Detroit Lions, both will have to remain Detroit Lions. Stafford is likely staying put. The same may not be true for Johnson. One thing is for sure — Megatron is fed up with losing.
According to the Detroit Free Press, via Pro Football Talk, Johnson seemed uncertain when asked whether or not he would remain in Detroit when his contract expires in 2012. When a player talks about a contract situation, one of the main things they usually allude to is how much they love the city they play in and the fans in that city. That wasn’t quite the case with Johnson.
Put it like this, if we turn this thing into a winner, I’m happy,” Johnson said via the Detroit Free Press. “I’ve won 11 games since I’ve been here in four years. Losing definitely sucks and you definitely don’t want to be around losing. You can’t get used to that.“I can’t get used to it because I haven’t come from that. I’ve been used to winning. And if this thing can’t get turned around, man, like I said — I’m just going to leave it at I can’t get used to it. I want to win.”
Translation: build a winning team or I’m out of here. While it may not be the traditional “this is a great city” response, we can’t blame Johnson. He’s one of the best receivers in the NFL and has nothing to show for it at this point in his career. The Lions have looked like an improved team at various points this season, yet they’ve only win two games.
To his credit, Megatron has been relatively quiet during his tenure with Detroit — especially for a wide receiver. Usually when a star receiver doesn’t appreciate how things are going they let everyone know about it. Johnson, on the other hand, has been relatively quiet. If he chooses to leave Detroit in 2012, there will be plenty of people waiting with blank checks and even more who don’t blame him for skipping town.
