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Lions' Calvin Johnson wants to extend yardage record

Calvin Johnson already has set the NFL record for single-season receiving yards. Now he wants to put it out of reach.

Megatron has 1,892 yards, 44 more than Jerry Rice's previous NFL record, and Sunday, when the Detroit Lions take on the Chicago Bears, he will try to bust through the 2,000-yard barrier.

"(It) would be big -- kind of almost put that (record) away for a while," Johnson said this week, according to The Associated Press. "All records are meant to be broken, but it would take a long time for somebody to come and get that. You never know. It could happen next year, but it would be a tough (record to break)."

The Bears held Johnson to 34 yards -- his lowest single-game total of the season -- in their first meeting. However, the record-setting receiver still has the respect of Bears defensive players.

Pro Bowl cornerback Charles Tillman went so far as to call Johnson "the LeBron James of football" earlier this week, via the Chicago Tribune.

The Lions' woes have necessitated throwing the ball a ton: Matthew Stafford almost certainly will break Drew Bledsoe's 1994 NFL record of 691 pass attempts in a season. That, along with a lack of other receiving options, created a perfect storm for Johnson to gain big yardage this season.

But if the new record is to be broken in future years, don't bet against Megatron besting his own achievement.

Follow Kevin Patra on Twitter @kpatra.