Calvin Johnson is not following Marshawn Lynch back into the NFL. Instead, he appears to be following Barry Sanders' path in the sense that his breakup with the Lions is beginning to look to less amiable and more contentious.
On Saturday, the ex-Lions receiver who retired last spring at the age of 30, shot down the idea that he's itching for a comeback.
"I don't really think about it too much because I got so much going on," Johnson told the Detroit Free Press. "I came in with Marshawn. We worked out together down in Orlando with Tom Shaw. I'm going to see him next week because I'm going out there to work with Oakland. But I don't feel any kind of mixed emotions about it now.
"It doesn't make me think about coming back, not at all."
Then, he took a shot at his former team. When Johnson was asked about his jersey potentially being retired by the Lions, he said that he doesn't speak with the Lions because he feels he was mistreated by them on his way out. The Free Press' Dave Birkett pointed out that Johnson was referring to how he had to return a portion of his signing bonus from his contract.
For what it's worth, the Free Press reported that "he said he holds no animosity towards the team." But that's not what his comments sounded like.
"I don't even like to talk Lions too much just because the way our relationship ended," Johnson said. "If they see me around here, we'll see. But hey, I don't know.
"I just didn't feel like I was treated the way I should have been treated on the way out. That's all. I mean, it's all good. I'm not tripping. I don't feel any kind of way, just hey, that's what they did. Hey, it is what it is."
When Johnson retired last year after an incredible nine-year stretch, he didn't really give a reason. Since then, however, he further explained his decision. Last July, he admitted that the Lions' struggles played a role in his decision. And in December, he explained that he wouldn't come back due to health concerns. So, just to be clear, Johnson didn't retire because he felt the Lions were mistreating him. The bad feelings seem to have erupted after he made his decision.
But comeback rumors were always going to linger due to just how good he was during his career. He caught 731 passes for 11,619 yards and 83 touchdowns. From 2007-15, he ranked seventh in receptions, first in receiving yards, and first in touchdown catches.
Johnson, now 31, appears to be done, though -- with the NFL, and possibly with the Lions.