Lions legend Calvin Johnson reveals real reason for abrupt retirement after 9 seasons in NFL
Calvin Johnson is widely considered one of the greatest wide receivers of all time. His unparelled combination of size (six-foot-five, 237 lbs) and athleticism allowed him to dominate the field to the tune of seven 1,000-yard performances in his career, including a league-record 1,964 in 2012.
So, it came as a complete shock when, in 2016, he announced his retirement after nine seasons - at just 30 and still arguably in his prime. But why?
Initially, Johnson cited injuries and the usual wear and tear of football. But others speculated that he also left because he had grown tired of his Detroit Lions' perennial underachieving, from last-place finishes in the NFC North to Wild Card Round exits. He eventually confirmed it on The Pivot Podcast on Tuesday:
"I was at a time where my body, the preparation that went into it really wasn't willing to go through that no more because it zapped all the fun out of the game for me ... I was just like, Man, I feel like I lost all the elasticity. And like the pop, in my ankles.
"I told myself when I started playing, I wanted to play 10 years. When I had 10,000 yards, just want to make a statement while I'm here. I didn't get to the 10 year mark, but I did say, 'When I'm not able to be myself and feel like I'm myself out there and do the things that I want to do. I'm done.'"
Interestingly enough, the Lions would make the playoffs in their first season without him, but they were eliminated in the Wild Card Round again.
In fact, they would not win a playoff game, let alone reach the conference championship round, until 2023-24, by which time they had found a new star wideout: 2021 fourth-round pick Amon-Ra St. Brown.
Calvin Johnson discusses former QB Matthew Stafford's career longevity
It has been quite some time since Calvin Johnson did interviews, and his appearance on The Pivot Podcast was just one of them.
On Monday, he also appeared on Up & Adams, where he shared his thoughts on his former teammate Matthew Stafford still playing at a high level at 36:
"He's definitely taking care of himself, so as long as he's doing that, as long as you're getting taken care of and not hitting the ground too much, you can really play as long as you want, as long as you're taking care of your body, too. So, if his line is taking care of him, we’ll see.”
Stafford, who was traded to the Los Angeles Rams in 2021 and won a Super Bowl there, is coming off a massive rebound season that saw a 10-7 record and return to the playoffs.
However, the Rams would lose in the Wild Card Round at the Lions, who acquired Jared Goff in the aforementioned trade.