NFL Notes: Calvin Johnson, Cardinals & Giants

Calvin Johnson

Retired WR Calvin Johnson mentioned during an interview with ESPN’s Michael Smith that the Lions were handing out painkillers “like candy.”

“I guess my first half of my career before they really, you know, before they were like started looking over the whole industry, or the whole NFL, the doctors, the team doctors and trainers they were giving them out like candy, you know?” Johnson said. “If you were hurting, then you could get ’em, you know. It was nothing. I mean, if you needed Vicodin, call out, ‘My ankle hurt,’ you know. ‘I need, I need it. I can’t, I can’t play without it,’ or something like that. It was simple. That’s how easy it was to get ’em, you know. So if you were dependent on ’em, they were readily available.”

Johnson added that it became clear that he couldn’t do what it would take to overcome the injuries he’s dealt with over the years.

“I know where my body’s at, know how it feels, you know,” Johnson said. “I know how it felt to one, get it to go every day. And to be out there actually doing it every day, you know — the pain to do it. So I’m just like — and you can’t take Toradol and pain medicine every day, you know. You gotta give that stuff a rest, and that was one thing I wasn’t willing to do.”

Cardinals

• Adam Caplan reports that Cardinals OLB Zack Wagenmann suffered a “tweak” of his lower leg during OTAs, but is expected to be back for training camp.

Giants

Giants QB Eli Manning believes they are definitely a playoff team this year.

“Yes, definitely,” said Manning, via Newsday. “We added some great players in the offseason, we were aggressive in free agency, but we still have a lot of our core guys back, especially on offense. They made some good moves on defense, so, I think getting some guys back healthy, the talent is there.”