Over the summer, there were reports that teams had reached out to Calvin Johnson to see if the retired wide receiver had interest in returning to the NFL.
Such overtures would actually constitute tampering since Johnson’s rights are held by the Lions and at least a couple of teams interested in seeing if Johnson wants to play again have reportedly involved the Lions in their exploration.
Adam Schefter of ESPN reports two teams have spoken to the Lions about trading for Johnson’s rights. The Lions reportedly told teams to speak to Johnson, but things have not progressed as Johnson has shown no sign of wanting to double back on the decision he made to walk away after the 2015 season.
While the Lions would likely be amenable to a deal that gets them an asset in place of a player who isn’t playing for them, it seems unlikely any team will be giving up anything in exchange for the rights to Johnson unless he makes it clear he’s going to play. With the trade deadline two days away, that would have to happen quickly.