Calvin Johnson has no plans on playing unless he is fully healthy. The issue is that he is not fully healthy and may not be for a long time. The leading receiver for the Detroit Lions is struggling to heal a high-ankle sprain that has been hampering him for a majority of the season and now Johnson is shutting himself down completely until the injury is no longer an issue. So how long will the wide receiver be off the field?
"Like I said, there's no point in being on the field if I can't go out there and do what I got to do," Johnson said, via ESPN.com. "Do what I got to do and do it to a high level that I'm used to doing it at. Not beating it up. Not getting out there, rolling it again, it definitely helps you. More and more you can stay off that particular area, the faster it can heal."
Johnson will not be on the field when the Lions play the New Orleans Saints this Sunday. He also might not be on the field in Week 8 either. The wide receiver did practice at all last week and also has not been active this week either. Head coach Jim Caldwell does not want to completely rule out Johnson for the upcoming games, but is certainly not endorsing his healthy status either.
The Lions would prefer to have Johnson on the field, but certainly have the weapons to make do without him. Golden Tate clearly becomes the No. 1 wide receiver in his place. Against the Vikings, Tate put up 44 yards on seven catches. Corey Fuller is also emerging as a real star for the Lions. He only had two catches against the Vikings, but is expected to get more targets with Johnson out. Theo Riddick also looked strong in his return, putting up 75 yards and a score.
The question is whether or not Ryan Broyles will be on the field. The Lions have been waiting for Broyles to emerge as a star despite his injury history. According to the Detroit Free Press, Caldwell met with the receiver to clear the air about any issues and Tate expects him to start getting more looks in the coming games.
"I think it affects guys like Ryan Broyles, who's going to get a lot more time, and [Corey] Fuller and [Jeremy] Ross, like those guys, and those guys are ready for their moment," Tate said, via the Detroit Free Press. "They're ready to step up and help us win as they did last week, so we want Calvin out there, but it is what it is. This is a very physical game, and injuries are part of it, but we're going to be prepared, and I think the coaching staff and the scouting department have built a team that can win without some of the key players."