2. Calvin Johnson
It’s a shame that Calvin Johnson was always surrounded by such bad teams over his tenure with the Detroit Lions. He played the game with such class, and it would have been nice to see him get a ring.
Megatron was the lone bright spot of a 2008 Lions team that went 0-16. He actually led the NFL with 12 touchdown receptions, and totaled over 1,300 yards receiving. While the Lions were terrible, it was clear they had a star. Once Matthew Stafford showed up, things began to get a little better. From 2010 to his retirement in 2015, Johnson was a Pro Bowler every year, and was named First-Team All-Pro from 2011-13.
In that three year span, Johnson totaled over 1,400 yards in each season, including leading the NFL in that category in both 2011 and ’12. He finished ’11 with 1,681 yards on 96 catches with 16 touchdowns. The next year, Johnson set the NFL record for receiving yards in a season with 1,964 while also leading the NFL with 122 catches.
While Johnson left with a ton of gas in the tank, there was never a moment where he wasn’t at the peak of his powers. The six-time Pro Bowler and three-time All-Pro was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2021.