Calvin Johnson is easily one of the biggest what-ifs in the NFL over the past decade. A lot of fans will definitely argue that his career was cut short by the injuries he sustained and it was only aggravated by the mismanagement of the Detriot Lions.
Given how terrible the team was in Johnson's final years, it's no wonder that the Lions killed his career. However, a question must be asked: what would his career look like if he didn't call it quits earlier due to his health condition. This piece will try to answer that and more.
If Johnson stayed in the NFL longer, he would still have been an excellent wideout. In his final season, he managed to record 88 receptions for 1214 yards and nine touchdowns. He was still pretty prolific at running routes and catching footballs when he called it quits. He would have still made a relevant contribution to any NFL team.
However, it seems very likely Johnson would have asked for a move away from the Lions, even going as far as not showing up for the season the way Trent Williams is doing so with the Washington Redskins. He would have revealed it all with the media and drag the franchise through the mud.
Michael Rosenberg of Sports Illustrated wrote about why he decided to hang up his cleats early:
In 2012 he told reporters he suffered one against the Vikings. The Lions said (and maintain) that he passed their concussion protocol, and Johnson later apologized: “I misused the terms nerve damage and concussion.” But he says now, “I knew I was concussed because I blacked out. I wasn’t seeing straight. And they wanted me to change my story.” Mostly, he says, he played through concussions because in his NFL that’s how you earn Employee of the Month.
It seems unlikely Johnson would agree to continue to play for the Lions after mistreating him the way they did. With that being said, he would have likely gone to one of the biggest contenders and could have played a key role in winning a Super Bowl.
Johnson could have ended up with a team like the New England Patriots and Bill Belichick always finds a way to get the best players on his team. Moreover, everyone would have relished at the opportunity to play with Tom Brady. Other destinations for him could have been the Seattle Seahawks, Los Angeles Rams, Philadelphia Eagles, and Baltimore Ravens.
However, Johnson would have only played a couple of seasons with whichever team he signed with before calling it a career. He had concerns for his health and with that being said, the opportunity to play meaningful games could have kept him going but not for too much longer.
If Johnson were to stay a little longer in the league, it would have been for the pursuit of a Super Bowl ring. However, that is a thing of the past now. With Megatron never coming back, fans will be stuck with these questions in their heads.
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