Wide receiver Calvin Johnson may be retired, but he still doesn’t want to see anyone do well against the Detroit Lions. Johnson made that clear through a joke while meeting Minnesota Vikings star wideout Justin Jefferson on the field prior to Week 18.
Calvin Johnson Attends Lions’ Historic 2024 Season Finale
“We just don’t need that Hall of Fame s*** tonight,” Johnson told Jefferson during a handshake.
.@CalvinJohnsonJr said just not tonight though 🤣 @JJettas2 pic.twitter.com/rWwAeekEvp
— NFL Films (@NFLFilms) January 9, 2025
The Lions’ defense delivered what Johnson desired. Jefferson finished the Week 18 showdown between the Vikings and Lions with three receptions on nine targets for 54 yards. Nevertheless, Jefferson is still more than on his way to building a Hall of Fame résumé.
Johnson and the Lions weren’t on the best of terms when the receiver ended his career following the 2015 season, but his relationship with the organization has steadily improved recently.
In July, the Lions announced their plans to induct Johnson into the team’s Ring of Honor, which occurred during Detroit’s Week 4 matchup with the Seattle Seahawks on Sept. 30.
Johnson was back at Ford Field for the team’s season finale on Jan. 5, where the Lions and Vikings met with the NFC North title and the conference’s No. 1 seed on the line.
After Detroit defeated Minnesota 31-9 to clinch a franchise record 15 victories this season, Johnson shared his excitement, telling analysts on NBC that the Lions “don’t have a ceiling right now.”
During the Vikings’ rout, Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs scored four touchdowns, setting a new franchise record for touchdowns in a game. Gibbs tallied 20 touchdowns during the 2024 season, which was also a new Detroit record.
Johnson scored 16 touchdowns in his first All-Pro season in 2011 and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2021.
Justin Jefferson a Threat to Johnson’s Single-Season Receiving Record
A couple of receivers have come close, but Jefferson continues to hold the NFL record for most receiving yards in a single season, totaling 1,964 during the 2012 season.
Jefferson is one wide receiver, though, who has come relatively close to that record. In 2022, he joined the exclusive 1,800 receiving-yards club — only four other wideouts besides Jefferson and Johnson have achieved that feat.
Jefferson “settled” for 1,533 receiving yards this past season. But as long as he’s in his prime, he will be a threat to Johnson’s single-season receiving mark.
After five NFL seasons, Jefferson is the league’s all-time leader in receiving yards per game with 96.5. He will need to average about 20 more yards per game (roughly 116 receiving yards) over an entire 17-game season to break Johnson’s record.
For the rest of this month, though, Johnson and Jefferson will turn their attention away from records and toward the postseason. Because the Vikings lost to the Lions in Week 18, Jefferson and his teammates will face the Los Angeles Rams on the road during Wild Card Weekend.
Meanwhile, the Lions will have a bye and will host the lowest-seeded NFC team remaining during the Divisional Round. That could very well be the Vikings if Jefferson stars in Los Angeles and both the Philadelphia Eagles and Tampa Bay Buccaneers win their opening matchups.
Jefferson has played in one playoff game to this point of his career. He had seven catches for 47 yards in that contest, which was a loss to the New York Giants in January 2023.
The Lions are attempting to advance to the first Super Bowl in franchise history after losing to the San Francisco 49ers in last year’s NFC Championship Game.