It's been more than two decades since Barry Sanders retired from the Detroit Lions. The running back legend left the fans buzzing after joking about a possible NFL return. The moment got even more attention when a prank featuring Eminem added its own twist to surprise the Motor City fans.

On April Fool's Day, the Detroit Lions fan base was sent into a frenzy after Complex Media decided to prank the fans on Instagram. The post shared the news that Marshall B. Mathers III, aka Eminem, joined the Detroit Lions as a quarterback. The interesting part? It was a collaborative post with the rapper. Naturally, it left the fans pausing scrolling for a second.

"Exclusive: Marshall B. Mathers, III pka Eminem strikes up a deal with his hometown Detroit Lions and furthers their ongoing partnership in a stunning move by signing a 1 day exclusive NFL exception contract," read the caption.

Then came the twist in the comment section.

“You need a RB @eminem," Hall of Famer Sanders hinted at a possible return.

It took the fans some time to realize that the images are AI-morphed pictures of Eminem in the Lions jersey. To make it more realistic, the post mentioned that it was reported by none other than ESPN’s Adam Schefter, followed by a quote from Eminem himself. 

“Ever since I was just a kid in Detroit, I always dreamed about this moment.  It’s a real full-circle thing for me. It’s my one shot, so to speak!  I’m not afraid," the caption read.

Fans connected the dots with an earlier instance in which Eminem had dropped hints. In 2023, he featured in the Hard Knocks, where he told the players that he is ready to “suit up”.

Even though the post was a prank, fans believed it for a second because of Eminem's old connection with the Lions.

Eminem's longstanding connection with the Detroit Lions and City Sports Culture

The 15-time Grammy winner's Detroit connection goes beyond just fandom. In the 2024 Super Wild Card Weekend game against the Los Angeles Rams, he jokingly begged quarterback Matthew Stafford to let the Lions win. 

"Stafford, what'd I say? You owe me this favor, bro," Eminem said. "I was there for you when you won it. I rapped for you, Stafford! Can you just let us have this one? Just this one."

Eminem was lucky to witness the Lions winning the playoff game, for the first time in 32 years, beating the Rams 24-23. He has also signed a multi-year partnership with the Lions for the production of their 2027 Thanksgiving Classic.

Although it was April Fools’ shenanigans, we couldn’t give more credit to Barry Sanders for passing the vibe check. His comment shows that the respect between the city’s music and sports is mutual.

Did Eminem get you with this prank, and share your thoughts about Barry Sanders' comment.

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Written by

Kunwar Yashaswee Chhaunker

Edited by

Soheli Tarafdar