Lions notes: Former NFL players have unflattering things to say about the Lions

The entire week leading up to the Super Bowl leaves plenty of former NFL players and officials available to the media. For local beat writers, that means picking the brains of NFL legends about the current team they cover. So here is a non-exhaustive list of what NFL players past and present are saying about the Detroit Lions.

• Steve Young on what he'd be doing to get Calvin Johnson back to Detroit:

  Steve Young: "If I were Matthew Stafford, I'd be living at Calvin's house doing his laundry (trying to get him to come back)."

  — Kyle Meinke (@kmeinke) February 5, 2016

  
  
• Kurt Warner's kids are adorable:

  Kurt Warner thinks Matthew Stafford is really talented, but when his kids throw side-armed, they say, "Stafford!" https://t.co/AqHgLiWxqt

  — Josh Katzenstein (@jkatzenstein) February 4, 2016

  
  
• Nate Burleson had an extensive three-minute interview about his time playing alongside Megatron. 
  
  
• Former Dallas Cowboys players had several unflattering things to say about the Lions, which I may or may not get into later in the week:

  Michael Irvin: It must be a tough thing to wake up every day in Detroit and go to work (because of the losing)

  — Kyle Meinke (@kmeinke) February 4, 2016

  Deion Sanders on Calvin Johnson possibly retiring: If they asked me to take a pay cut, I would walk away, too.

  — Josh Katzenstein (@jkatzenstein) February 4, 2016

  Deion Sanders says the Lions should ask Stafford to take a paycut before Calvin Johnson.

  — Kyle Meinke (@kmeinke) February 4, 2016

  Deion Sanders, on the other hand: Not a fan of Matthew Stafford. Said there's no difference between him and Jay Cutler.

  — Kyle Meinke (@kmeinke) February 4, 2016

  
  
• To be fair, Deion Sanders is a big fan of Darius Slay:

  Deion Sanders on Lions CB @_bigplayslay23 "Darius Slay is good, man. I like the kid"

  — Dave Birkett (@davebirkett) February 4, 2016

  
  
• J.J. Watt likes Ziggy Ansah:

  J.J. Watt very brief and to the point when I asked him about Ziggy: "I think he's a very good player."

  — Tim Twentyman (@ttwentyman) February 4, 2016

  
  
• Golden Tate confirms what anyone who has been paying attention already knows:

  Golden Tate on Radio Row at Super Bowl confirmed that Johnson is considering retirement "because his body isn't holding up"

  — Tim Twentyman (@ttwentyman) February 4, 2016

  
  
• Stepping away from Super Bowl media quotes, the NFL will be instituting a "Rooney Rule" for women.
  
  
• Add Giants receiver Hakeem Nicks to the list of athletes helping out in Flint:

  A truckload of water -- 17,000 bottles -- will arrive in Flint, Michigan tomorrow morning, courtesy of Giants WR Hakeem Nicks.

  — Ralph Vacchiano (@RVacchianoNYDN) February 4, 2016