The relationship between the Lions and Hall of Fame receiver Calvin Johnson has been famously strained since he retired and the team forced him to pay back $1.6 million of his signing bonus.
In the past, he’s hinted that the relationship has been on the mend. But now he’s explicitly said it.
“We’re trending up. We’re trying to come together and make something happen,” Johnson said, via Ryan Glasspiegel of the New York Post. “Obviously, I’d love to be around the team and do more things there and help the guys out. It’s good that we’re moving in the right direction.”
Johnson was asked about the money but did not directly address it, saying, “Like I said, we’re in the process.”
The No. 2 overall pick of the 2007 draft, Johnson was a star through the 2015 season. He caught 731 passes for 11,619 yards with 83 touchdowns and was enshrined into the Hall of Fame in 2021.