The Detroit Lions have never exactly been a hotbed for NFL free agents in the offseason. It seems the prospect of playing in the Motor City was hardly an intriguing one for former NFL wide receiver Reggie Wayne back in 2015.
Although Wayne signed with the New England Patriots following his illustrious career with the Indianapolis Colts, he had received some interest from the Lions as a free agent. However, he said during an appearance on the “Hellipod” podcast that he quickly declined when they requested a workout:
“I said, ‘Work out? You the Detroit Lions. Wait. Work out? I’m good.' Like, I can give you — I got 14 years of working out that you can see,” Wayne said. “So I was like, ‘Nah, I’m cool.’”
Wayne's comments are indicative of the player perception surrounding the Lions organization, especially at that time. Although he would have been joining a receiving corps headed by Calvin Johnson and Golden Tate, he seemingly saw the team's screening as a slight to the body of work he had already put forth.
Of course, Wayne would have no problem working out for the New England Patriots. While it may have contradicted his earlier actions for Detroit, it is safe to say that the championship pedigree played a part in his change of heart.
Wayne would ultimately retire before the 2015 campaign without playing a single game. Regardless, it is safe to say that he still made the right decision considering Johnson's decision to retire months later resulted in him having to repay a $1.6 million portion of his signing bonus back to the Lions.
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