Johnson recently admitted the Lions’ struggles were a factor in his retirement decision. He was locked into his contract and they wouldn’t let him out of it, so Johnson couldn’t go anywhere else.
On the heels of those comments, the Lions’ team president, Rod Wood, told WJR Radio Monday that he invited Johnson to the Lions’ camp next month in Allen Park, Mich.
“I did invite him out to training camp,” Wood said. “We’ll see if he does that. Hopefully he shows up and he’s a great player. We want to have him in the tent and not outside the tent.”
Wood called Johnson’s recent comments “a little disappointing,” but he said they’re still trying to work things out with the former stud wideout — a sentiment coach Jim Caldwell stated in March. I mean, who wouldn’t want Megatron — even an old Megatron — on their team?
Johnson is a Detroit legend. He is the franchise’s all-time leader in catches, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns.
Though he clearly wanted out of his contract, Johnson has pointed to physical ailments as the primary driver of his retirement. He’s beat up from his career, and even if the Lions can mend the wounds of the relationship, it would be a shock if he made a return to the NFL.
