Calvin Johnson told the Italian media Tuesday that the Lions' inability to win was a factor in his decision to retire from the NFL.
Johnson retired before the 2016 season, saying he was leaving the game -- in part -- because it was too hard on his body.
Johnson is currently in Italy for the Italian Bowl, and at a press conference with Italian media Tuesday he said "I was stuck in my contract with Detroit, and they told me, they would not release my contract, so I would have to come back to them. I didn’t see the chance for them to win a Super Bowl at the time, and for the work I was putting in, it wasn’t worth my time to keep on beating my head against the wall … and not going anywhere."
Johnson then added "that's the definition of insanity," and the crowd laughed.
This is the second time this summer that Johnson has spoken candidly about his negative feelings towards the Lions.
In May, Johnson said he was unhappy about how the Lions handled his departure and didn't react well to their request for part of his signing bonus back.
