Calvin Johnson's Relationship With The Lions Is Trending Up After Years Of Iciness
It looks like the Detroit Lions and Calvin Johnson are finally ready to bury the hatchet and move forward.
Johnson and the Lions have been on notoriously bad terms ever since the team made him repay more than $1 million in signing bonus after he retired following the 2015 season.
Generally speaking, teams don't go after a star player's bonus money if he decides to hang up his cleats, especially if he's physically banged up like Johnson was.
The Lions made him repay the money, and things have been sour ever since. Johnson repeatedly made it clear that until the money was given back to him, he had no interest in healing the situation.
Calvin Johnson and the Detroit Lions look to mend their relationship. (Photo by Nic Antaya/Getty Images)
Calvin Johnson and the Lions attempt to mend the fence.
After years of iciness between ownership and the former superstar receiver, hostilities have slowly started to thaw over the past year or so.
Johnson attended the team's activities Wednesday and made it clear conversations between the two sides are ongoing.
The former star of the team definitely appeared to be in very high spirits.
The Lions need to bring Johnson back into the fold.
The way the Lions handled Calvin Johnson's retirement was downright embarrassing for everyone involved with the team.
Johnson sacrificed his body for the team, and he was a shell of himself by the time the 2015 season came to an end.
It was clear he was physically done. Yet, instead of letting him ride off into the sunset after being a great player since 2007, the Lions demanded he give up his money.
The Lions are mending the team's relationship with Calvin Johnson. (Photo by Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images)
Johnson made it clear he wasn't happy, fans claimed the team was cursed and eight years later, it finally looks like the situation will be resolved.
The Lions should have said thank you, let him keep every penny of his signing bonus and that should have been the end of it. Instead, ownership botched it in the worst of ways.
Fortunately, it's better to fix something years later than not at all.
Bring Johnson back into the fold, give him his money back and move forward. It's pretty simple.