Kerryon Johnson was a highly-recruited player coming out of Auburn.
He was named the SEC Offensive Player of the Year in 2017 after racking up 1,391 rushing yards and 18 touchdowns.
Due to his collegiate output, Johnson was drafted in the second round by the Detroit Lions in 2018, and expectations were high.
However, Johnson wasn’t able to live up to his potential, gaining just 1,225 yards in three NFL seasons.
Johnson hasn’t played in the NFL since the 2020 season, after starting just two games for the Lions.
While Johnson is unofficially retired from the league, several have wondered why he is not on an active roster.
Recently, Johnson made comments about his NFL career, citing Matt Patricia as the reason that he is no longer active.
Former #Lions RB Kerryon Johnson, who is only 25 but unofficially retired, seems to suggest that former HC Matt Patricia played a part in his career being so short
This is why some players are not the biggest fans of “The Patriot Way” pic.twitter.com/5QRndc4Xjc
— JPAFootball (@jasrifootball) March 16, 2023
In this tweet, Johnson seemingly calls out Patricia, who was the Lions’ head coach at the time.
He contends that he was without both his knees and his neck, likely due to the grueling training that he endured.
Before Patricia was the head coach of the Lions, he worked with Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots.
Although the Patriots are one of the most successful franchises in NFL history, their coaching methods have been heavily scrutinized.
The “Patriot Way” is difficult to fully define, yet many former players from the organization have discussed this.
Whether it is chalked up to impossibly high standards, or simply holding players accountable, New England hasn’t been regarded as a player-friendly organization.
These comments were only recently made by Johnson.
What additional backlash will the Patriots receive as a result?
NEXT: The Lions Have Submitted A New Rule Change Proposal To The NFL
