Five great players whose careers have been killed by the Detroit Lions

The Detroit Lions have had several great players whose careers were killed in Detroit because of how bad the team was.

The Detroit Lions have always seemed to be the poor, hapless team in the NFC that has had bad things happen to them. While they have certainly had their bright moments, the franchise has had their fair share of down moments and heartbreak over the years.

From playoff droughts to an 0-16 season, the Detroit Lions have accomplished just about every bad thing that can happen to them in football. They’ve had plenty of coaches who were supposed to take them to the next level be sent sent packing just a few years later.

They’ve also had plenty of superstars whose careers were killed in Detroit because the Lions could never capitalize on their prime while they were a member of the team.

With Calvin Johnson contemplating retirement, it serves as yet another reminder of a great player that spent the best years of his career and some of the best in NFL history in Detroit, only for it to be rewarded with two one-and-done situations in the playoffs.

Johnson is not the first stud player to see his career wasted with Lions. They’ve had plenty of great players over the years that have seen their careers die in Detroit because the team couldn’t either build around them or take that next step.

There is a history of great players leaving their best in Detroit with no reward to speak of. Here are the five great players whose careers were killed by the Detroit Lions.

Next: 5. Ndamukong Suh