The question isn't whether Calvin Johnson belongs in the Hall of Fame. Of course he does. And he's headed there one way or another.
The question is whether he deserves to get in on the first ballot.
According to the man who defended Megatron more than anyone in the NFL, the answer is clear.
"Uh yeah ... trust me, he's earned it," former Bears CB Charles Tillman wrote in response to an NFL Network Instagram post asking whether Johnson is a first-ballot Hall of Famer.
Johnson was officially nominated for the Hall of Fame on Wednesday. (So was Tillman.) He's one of 14 first-year eligible players, along with the likes of Peyton Manning and Charles Woodson. Those two are shoo-ins.
And many people believe Johnson is, too. The support on Instagram didn't end with Tillman.
Packers safety Adrian Amos, who played against Megatron twice in the receiver's final season, wrote, "This is not a question ... He's top 5."
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"Easy!" said former Bills running back Fred Jackson.
"Yup!" said Johnson's former teammate Nate Burleson. Or as another former teammate, Lance Moore, put it: "Yep!!!"
And for once, we can all agree with Eric Ebron, who simply said, "YES!!"
Of the 346 members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, 87 have gained admission on the first ballot. We'll find out Feb. 6 if Johnson will join their company.
In the meantime, reacquaint yourself with Tillman's tribute to Johnson after both of them retired following the 2015 season.
"Maybe it's fitting we both decided to hang ‘em up for good," Tillman wrote in an open letter. "The game, of course, goes on. But take it from me: without Megatron, it’s just not the same. Just ask my fellow defensive backs. That sound you heard when you announced your retirement? That was them, exhaling."