Getty Kenny Golladay plays against the Cardinals in 2020.
The Detroit Lions have unnecessarily complicated things with one of their top young players, and they need to fix the situation with Kenny Gollday quickly before it gets out of hand.
Detroit has yet to get a contract extension done with Golladay, and that’s led to some palpable frustration for the wideout that has only just started to surface. The frustration should be there for Lions fans as well, because there’s been nobody stronger or more important to the offense the last few seasons as Golladay.
So what’s the holdup? It’s been clear for the last few years that the Lions could have their next potential Calvin Johnson on their hands, and so far, the team has been content to play financial hardball with him in the boardroom and risk alienation. That’s not a smart move for Bob Quinn no matter what his job security might look like at the moment.
It’s past time for the Lions to find a way to lock up Golladay, and making the wideout happy has to be the top focus of the front office right now.
If the Lions did have another Megatron on their hands and let him walk out the door, it would be almost worse than what they’re doing to the actual Megatron right now.
Kenny Golladay Compares Statistically With Calvin Johnson
Not only can Golladay put up the highlight reel catches like Johnson used to, he compares numbers wise with arguably the best wideout in team history. As Chris Burke of The Athletic pointed out, Golladay has been a statistical force in a short amount of time for the team on the field. Stunningly, the numbers are very close.
Most receiving yards through the first 45 games of a player’s career, all-time in #Lions history:
1. Calvin Johnson: 3,071
2. Kenny Golladay: 2,954
Nobody dares put Golladay in the same stratosphere as Johnson in terms of ability and performance since his career is just getting underway, nor should they dare call him by his despised nickname of ‘Babytron.’ Still, it’s hard to ignore just how special Golladay could be shaping up to be in a Detroit uniform. It’s quite possible he has all the goods to finish better than Johnson when all is said and done.
Just like Johnson, Golladay has often made all the plays needed to help win games. Also just like Johnson, it’s possible there is a burning frustration simmering beneath the surface with every loss and every frustration that happens.
The least the Lions could do in order to stem the tide would be to pay Golladay what he’s worth right now.
Imagining Kenny Golladay’s Future With Lions
Golladay is just 26, so it’s easy to see him sticking around for at least the next 5-7 years in the Motor City and putting up numbers. No matter what happens at quarterback in the future, the Lions are in good hands at receiver with Golladay. Just having him in the mix is a big bonus for the team regardless of who is throwing him the rock. If the Lions can get things figured out, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Golladay cracking the Pro Bowl, All-Pro teams and also having a bit more playoff success than Johnson ever did in Detroit. The big hope, naturally, is he can lead the Lions to playoff wins and an elusive Super Bowl title.
All of that is possible if the Lions would just commit to Golladay right now and keep him happy. It’s frightening to think how much better he could be if he were feeling completely secure and content with his future.
Detroit needs to stop playing hardball and make a deal happen. It would be organizational malpractice to let a potential new age Megatron slip out the door or even get frustrated enough to leave.
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