No mega-sendoff for Calvin Johnson from Detroit Lions

Wide receiver Calvin Johnson owns some incredible numbers thanks to nine seasons in the Motor City. The second overall pick in the 2007 NFL Draft possesses franchise records for catches (731), receiving yards (11,619) and touchdown grabs (83). The six-time Pro Bowler and three-time All-Pro opted for retirement following the 2015 campaign. Obviously, he’s one of the great players in the long history of the Detroit Lions.

While he’s been gone from the organization for over a calendar year, there seems to be some unsettled feelings for the talented pass-catcher when it comes to his former NFL employer. So when the subject of the team retiring his No. 81 jersey came up recently, the response may have been somewhat surprising.

“I don’t even like to talk Lions too much just because the way our relationship ended,” said the former Georgia Tech product turned NFL star to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. “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,” added Johnson. “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 is.”

So what exactly did Johnson mean by the statement? It’s somewhat unclear. “I mean, it’s simple,” he said. “It’s simple. It’s easy when you think about it.”

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It’s a shame that the star performer feels that way when it comes to his former team. But as we know, professional sports is sometimes be a very cold business. It’s impossible to tell what happened between the parties. But hopefully all can be rectified between the franchise and the man dubbed “Megatron.” He deserves to be recognized by Detroit for his play with the team.