http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.co...on-says-lions-players-want-jim-caldwell-back/
[h=1]Calvin Johnson says Lions’ players want Jim Caldwell back[/h] Posted by Michael David Smith on December 31, 2015, 1:00 PM EST
APLions coach Jim Caldwell’s future is in doubt, but there’s no doubt that the Lions’ players want him back.
That’s the word from receiver
Calvin Johnson, who said he and his teammates are in agreement that Caldwell is the coach they want.
“Yeah, man, I love him,” Johnson said. “I think
everybody in the locker room would probably say the same thing. He commands respect, but he doesn’t have to do much. It’s just his character, guys gravitate towards him. He’s easily one of my favorite coaches I’ve had.”
Of course, it’s an open question whether Johnson himself will be back next year. The Lions currently are searching for a new General Manager, and whoever they hire is going to have a tough decision to make about how to handle Johnson and his whopping $24 million cap hit for 2016. So even if Caldwell does remain in Detroit, he might not coach Johnson.
Caldwell’s own fate likely won’t be determined until the new G.M. is hired, so the Lions probably won’t make a shakeup on Black Monday. Instead, Caldwell will sit and wait, knowing that his players want to keep playing for him, but not knowing whether his job is safe.