Getty Kenny Golladay playing against the Saints.
The Detroit Lions lost a game against the Indianapolis Colts, but there could be a little more tension in other areas of the organization centered around Kenny Golladay.
Golladay still hasn’t gotten a new contract much to his potential chagrin, and there could be issues deep within the organization between the parties complicating matters.
According to Jason La Canfors of CBS Sports, Golladay and the Lions have been in a tense relationship over the deal not getting done. Here’s what he wrote:
“Kenny Golladay left Sunday’s game early with a hip injury, but things have been tense between him and the organization for quite some time; he’s been brooding over not getting a new deal, and that came to a head on Saturday when I’m told he was not at the facility when he should have been.
Marvin Jones has been the center of trade talks, but Golladay would fetch much more if this is going to be an ongoing problem. The Lions have added some salary in season, but you have to wonder if they are still in buy mode and what ownership might be mulling from a payroll standpoint.”
After the report surfaced, Lions beat writer Justin Rogers from the Detroit News contradicted the La Canfora report with one of his own.
For what it’s worth, I’ve been told Kenny Golladay was with the team on Saturday and there’s no issues with the receiver.
The Lions were beaten by a better team on Sunday, but their schedule lightens up again in the coming weeks with the Vikings, Washington, Carolina and Texans on the schedule. The combined record of those teams? An ugly 8-21, meaning the Lions probably aren’t going away out of the playoff picture barring another collapse. Golladay could help them on this front. If he’s become a distraction as La Canfora suggests, though, all bets are off regarding what could happen.
This report would seem to also contradict the more humble approach Golladay took when talking about the team and his situation last week.
Will Lions Trade Kenny Golladay?
Ideally, Golladay is a player the Lions keep and sign to some type of a major extension as soon as possible, no matter how much it costs or who will be running the team beyond 2020. The Lions got a similar deal done with Taylor Decker before the season, but were unable to do the same with Golladay. Where does that leave arguably Detroit’s best home grown talent in a long time? It’s tough to say, but the Lions have to at least listen to offers. If someone wants to blow them away, they have to think about making the move. Golladay is talented and the team should lock him up. If they can’t, it would be a big mistake.
Trading a player like Jones would be easier given his contract status, but with Golladay hurt and both players needed for the Lions to have any chance at a run, the Lions might elect to hold onto both in the end and see what happens in 2020. It’s not wise to bet on a panic move, and even though reports suggest the Lions had trade talks centered around Golladay, it feels more likely he will stay.
Kenny Golladay’s Future With Lions
The team needs to do whatever they can to keep Golladay content and in the mix for the future given how important he is for the team’s overall chances. He looks like their best and most important player on offense, and that is only proven true with every game he misses on the field. Detroit is 0-3 in games where Golladay has been missing in 2020, and the team’s offense looks markedly different without him playing meaningful snaps.
Whether this report is true or not, the Lions should be doing everything in their power to keep Golladay happy given how much he means to the team.
READ NEXT: Hunt Report: Lions Still Not Good Enough for Big Wins