Calvin Johnson admits Lions wouldn’t let him play for another NFL team

Superstar wide receiver Calvin Johnson of the Detroit Lions ended his NFL career prematurely. Much like another Lions legend, Barry Sanders, Johnson was ready for life after football. Although he did want to play for another team in the league before he called it a career.

Johnson recently admitted that the Lions would not let him go to another team. The four-time All-Pro wideout had enough of the struggling franchise and wanted to expand his horizons elsewhere, but that didn’t happen, and he’s still not happy about it via Woodward Sports.

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“You know what, it sucked that they didn’t let me go, but they let Matthew [Stafford] go, but hey, you know, it is what it is,” said Johnson. “I’m not mad at Matthew; I love Matthew.”

The Hook co-host Tom Mazawey then asked Johnson if he would’ve gone to the Oakland Raiders. That’s when Johnson chuckled and replied, “Man, I would’ve went anywhere.”

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Johnson was one of the most dominant forces in the NFL. However, the Lions were never able to put it together during his time with the franchise in the same way Sanders never won a Super Bowl title in Detroit.

The timing of Johnson’s comments is ironic as Stafford was traded earlier in the NFL offseason to the Los Angeles Rams, which is an ideal situation for the veteran quarterback. The Rams are arguably a contender in the NFC with Stafford under center, which is an opportunity Johnson would’ve like to have been given.