What If the Lions Traded Barry Sanders? By: Sam Quinn 
In one of the more shocking developments in NFL history, Detroit Lions star running back Barry Sanders retired abruptly, still in his prime, in 1998. Sanders, who had grown tired of the losing culture in Detroit, begged the Lions to either trade or release him so that he could truly compete for a Super Bowl. The Lions refused, telling him that he could play for Detroit or not play at all. Sanders chose not to return to the Lions, and Detroit would end up spending the next several years mired in futility. But what if Detroit decided to grant Sanders his freedom and trade him to contender? Would one of the greatest players of all time have gotten his ring? And would the Lions have been able to use the Sanders trade to propel a rebuild? After an intense bidding war, Sanders is traded to NFC Central rival Tampa Bay in exchange for young running back Warrick Dunn, safety Dexter Jackson, and first and fifth round picks in the 2000 NFL Draft. Though initially reluctant to join a team that hadn’t made the playoffs in the previous season, Sanders eventually embraces his young teammates and resolves to lead them to the Super Bowl. The ’99 season becomes a war between Tampa Bay and the upstart St. Louis Rams for NFC supremacy. Both come into Week 17 with identical 13–2 records, but Tampa Bay manages to steal home-field advantage after the Rams are shocked by 5–10 Philadelphia. This makes all of the difference, as each win tough games in the divisional round to set up a long-awaited NFC championship game in Tampa Bay. The game plays right into Tampa’s hands as its stingy defense holds the Rams to only five points through the first three and a half quarters. Quarterback Kurt Warner leads a drive down the field late in the game hoping to take the lead, but the raucous Tampa crowd makes it so hard for him to relay signals to his receivers that he is picked off by John Lynch on a miscommunication between him and receiver Isaac Bruce. Three plays later, the Bucs seal the win on a touchdown pass from quarterback Trent Dilfer to Sanders. Tampa Bay is headed to the Super Bowl. Once there, the Tampa defense is once again in top form, and led by a Super Bowl record 209 rushing yards by Barry Sanders, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers win their first ever Super Bowl title. Coach Tony Dungy and quarterback Dilfer are both given lucrative contract extensions aimed at keeping the pair in Tampa for the rest of their careers. Once the offseason kicks into gear, yet another star-induced bidding war begins. This time, it’s New York Jets receiver Keyshawn Johnson on the block, and despite overtures from Tampa Bay, Super Bowl loser Tennessee and the reeling Dallas Cowboys, he is eventually traded to Baltimore to pair up with for the No. 5 pick in the upcoming NFL draft (which would later be used on wide receiver Plaxico Burress) and a 2001 second round pick. Coach Brian Billick then insisted upon pairing Johnson with his former quarterback in Minnesota, Brad Johnson, who was quickly acquired via trade from Washington. But speaking of the draft, Sanders’ former team, Detroit, came into the festivities absolutely loaded with ammunition. Though initially enamored with Marshall quarterback Chad Pennington, the Lions eventually decided that they needed someone to lead their defense. They settled on New Mexico linebacker Brian Urlacher, and selected him after trading both the No. 20 and No. 31 (from Tampa Bay) to Arizona for the No. 7 pick. But unfortunately for Detroit, Tampa Bay and the rest of the league, the next two seasons belong to Billick’s Ravens. The Ray Lewis-led defense surpasses even Tampa Bay’s stellar unit, and with the two Johnsons leading the offense along with running back Priest Holmes the Ravens lose only five games combined in the 2000 and 2001 seasons. Their only true test in the playoffs comes against the Drew Bledsoe-led Patriots in the ‘01 AFC Championship game, a game they would win on a controversial fumble call. Frustrated with Baltimore’s dominance in the AFC and the growing tension between he and owner Al Davis, Raiders head coach Jon Gruden asks to be released from his contract to coach the Lions, whose defense, led by Urlacher, is quickly rising to the top of the league. Gruden’s wish is eventually granted at the cost of several draft picks, and Detroit’s future soon looks brighter than ever. In the AFC meanwhile, the Indianapolis Colts fail at an attempt to lure Tony Dungy away from Tampa Bay and have to settle for their second choice: former Dungy assistant Lovie Smith. The moribund Bears, also interested in Smith as their new coach, are forced to settle for Baltimore defensive coordinator Marvin Lewis. Though the Ravens remain the Super Bowl favorite heading into the 2002 season, the Lions, Colts, and even the Patriots look ready and able to finally dethrone the two-time defending champs.link
