Former Detroit Lions wide receiver Calvin Johnson, who was the second overall selection by the club in the 2007 NFL Draft, went down as arguably the greatest player at the position in franchise history, and was appropriately inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2021.
Johnson and the Lions, whose relationship was strained in recent years, are back on level ground, and he’s now a club legend, team advisor, and informal mentor to the current group of players.
Who Will Break Detroit Lions Hall Of Fame Wideout Calvin Johnson’s Receiving Record?
Johnson, who still holds the NFL single-season receiving record of 122 passes for 1,964 yards in the 2012 NFL season, doesn’t believe it will be too long before someone passes him in the history books. While speaking at his fourth annual celebrity golf outing, Johnson revealed that it’s coming sooner or later, especially thanks to the NFL planning on extending the regular season to 18 games from the current 17-game format.
“If they go to 18 – well, should we say when they go to 18 games?” Johnson said on Monday. “When they go to 18 games it’s no doubt about it. Hands down.”
Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Cooper Kupp came close during the 2021 NFL season in which he amassed 1,947 yards. As long as Johnson’s former quarterback, Matthew Stafford, is with the Rams, Johnson believes that it could happen.
“He’s still got Matthew, so I think he’s got a shot. “If he stays healthy, that dude’s a killer out there. He’s a definite No. 1. Who else? Help me out here.”
Will Cooper Kupp Or Justin Jefferson Break Johnson’s Record?
“Cooper was close. I thought he was going to break it, honestly,” Johnson said. “But yeah, you never know. You got to have a good start. It’s hard to pick it up late in the season. You got to get off to a good start, you got to maintain that good pace and then you got to finish strong. I think that’s the key if you’re going to break the record, you got to start strong. You got to keep it up in the middle. You ain’t got to kill it in the middle, but you got to keep up that pace a little bit but you got to finish strong. You got to have a strong start and strong finish to the season in order to get that record.”
Meanwhile, Justin Jefferson amassed 1,809 yards on 128 total catches during the 2022 NFL season with the Lions’ NFC North rival Minnesota Vikings. Does Jefferson still have a chance to pass it?
“I thought he could have been one but they messed up his quarterback situation when they brought in my man from Michigan [J.J. McCarthy] when they had [Sam] Darnold just win them 14 games. I hate seeing people get fired but people get fired when stuff like that happens.”
“He’s got the talent,” Johnson said of Jefferson. “What year is he in? Like six or seven? I mean, he needs to do it soon. He needs to do it soon, probably.”
Former Lions Great Calvin Johnson Identifies Potential Record-Breaker