Did The Detroit Lions Turn Calvin Johnson Into Barry Sanders?

By Eli Kaplan | Jan 11, 2016

Dec 3, 2015; Detroit, MI, USA; Detroit Lions wide receiver Calvin Johnson (81) stiff arms Green Bay Packers strong safety Morgan Burnett (42) after a catch during the first quarter at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports /

With all the talk of Detroit Lions wide receiver Calvin Johnson possibly retiring, it’s hard not to feel as if we’re seeing Barry Sanders v2.0 unveiled.

Part of me feels bad to compare the (possible) end of Calvin Johnson‘s career to the way Barry Sanders ended his career so abruptly. It seems too easy and predictable (and a bit cliche as well) to say the Detroit Lions managed to lionize them both into retirement. Not to mention, plenty of the national sports media are sure to take that path. I really don’t need to add to that long list. Do I?

More importantly, Calvin Johnson and Barry Sanders are two different people, two different players, who played two different positions, and in two different eras.

Barry Sanders was incredibly durable during his 10 seasons with the Lions, missing only seven games throughout his career. His shifty, one-of-a-kind running style also seemed to keep him from hardly ever taking a square hit or tackle.

While the NFL is a violent, explosive game, Sanders emerged from his playing days relatively unscathed.

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Calvin Johnson’s health is a different matter. Though he has only missed nine games in his nine year career, Johnson’s body has taken a well documented beating. In recent years, he has constantly battled knee and ankle injuries. He is a big, ridiculously athletic target, but he is also a target that gets hit hard by opposing defenses.

I don’t follow the injury reports of other NFL teams, but Johnson has been a regular on the questionable list for the Lions, in recent years. He has also been limited in a large amount of practices, and held out of many others entirely.

So, if Johnson is seriously pondering an early retirement, maybe it really is just about the physical toll the game has taken on him.

Even so, there’s a small part of me that can’t help but wonder if Johnson would have a different view of the physical adversities he’s facing, if he was facing them in a different uniform.

Perhaps, if Johnson was spending his days playing for the Packers or Patriots – any franchise that consistently makes the playoffs (and wins playoff games too) – maybe his battle-wounds wouldn’t hurt quite as much, nor would his rehabilitations seem as insurmountable.

Do chronically sprained ankles, twisted knees, and broken fingers hurt less if you’re on a winning franchise (as opposed to a losing one)?

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I’m unsure of the answer, but this I know for certain: Calvin Johnson’s early retirement talk is an ugly reminder that sometimes it’s really tough to be a Lions fan.

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