The Detroit Lions probably can’t keep Calvin Johnson on their roster at his current projected salary cap figure for 2016, but the All-Pro hopes they are able to accomodate him in some way.
Johnson, whose cap hit for next season is scheduled to be $24 million, was asked this week if he wants to finish his career with the Lions.
“That’d be lovely,” he said, per Josh Katzenstein of The Detroit News.
Johnson, 30, has had an up-and-down season, though he is all but certain to eclipse the 1,000-yard receiving mark for the sixth consecutive year. Some of his inconsistent play is due to overall offensive struggles from the Lions, but it’s also possible that the 30-year-old is starting to slow down a bit.
For now, Megatron isn’t thinking about the potential of having to leave Detroit.
“I’ll think about it more when the time comes,” he said. “If that time comes, whatever happens, happens, but not now. We still have our same coaches, and we’re going to continue moving forward. And all I can worry about right now is the game plan that we have (for New Orleans).”
Johnson is signed through 2019, so the Lions could try to shuffle some money around. No wide receiver in football is worth a cap hit of $24 million — especially one who is clearly not the best at his position anymore.
Reports like this one indicate that there may be no easy solution. Even if Detroit tries to trade Megatron, he would have to agree to take significantly less money elsewhere. The situation is bound to get a bit sticky this winter.
