Getty Golden Tate cheers the Giants.
The Detroit Lions traded Golden Tate nearly one year ago at the NFL trade deadline, but the wide receiver still bleeds a little Honolulu Blue even though he has changed his colors.
Ahead of Detroit’s game against the Green Bay Packers, Tate hopped on Twitter and shared a message that he would be pulling for his old teammates as they took on the Packers on Monday Night Football.
Here’s a look at his message:
Let’s get it @Lions . Can’t wait to see my boys get active tonight!
Tate has plenty of friends still on the Lions, including quarterback Matthew Stafford, Marvin Jones, and others on the offense and the defense. He was a loved member of the team when he played in Detroit, and the Lions decision to trade him was tough last season. Obviously, though, Tate doesn’t take anything personally as evidence as the tweet.
A Special Career
Tate had phenomenal numbers after he signed with the Lions following a Super Bowl victory by the Seattle Seahawks. Detroit used him as a lead dog at wideout and he put up some incredible numbers over his career with the Lions. In five seasons in Detroit, Tate put up 4,741 yards and 22 touchdowns. He was a revelation for the Lions with that in mind.
After the trade to Philadelphia, Tate didn’t put up huge numbers or win a Super Bowl, but he did net the Lions a 3rd round pick. Following free agency, Tate signed with the New York Giants and turned over a new leaf there. He was forced to sit out the first five games of the year with a suspension, but has returned and already scored a touchdown with the Giants.
It’s not hyperbole to say that Tate has arguably been one of the best slot wideouts in the history of the NFL given his numbers and performance through the years, something Lions fans will easily agree with.
Always a Favorite
Tate will always go down as a fan favorite in Detroit thanks to what he was able to do with the Lions. Fans loved his passion on and off the field and how he connected with the community as a whole. They loved what he was able to do through the years on the field and the passion he showed and how he supported the Detroit community as well.
Safe to say, Tate will remain a favorite with moves like this and make the fans who used to cheer him extra happy. Though he has moved on from Detroit, it’s clear Tate really hasn’t moved on at all and still pulls for his friends and teammates on the other side in the Motor City when he is not competing against them head to head on any given week.
The Giants will play the Lions in a few weeks at Ford Field, and all that goodwill will likely go out the window then which is fine. But for now, Tate is still on the same side as his former mates as they take on a rival.
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