It was only a few weeks ago that an ESPN report made it sound like it was all but certain that Detroit Lions wide receiver Calvin Johnson would be retiring from the NFL. Now, that notion seems to be very much in question. Lions team president Rod Wood appeared on 105.1 on Thursday and, according to Mike O'Hara, said that Johnson has "not made a decision."
More Rod Wood on Calvin Johnson: "Bob Quinn (Lions GM) talked to him. Calvin has not made a decision."
more— Mike O'Hara (@MikeOHaraNFL) February 18, 2016
Per Wood, Detroit GM Bob Quinn has spoken to Johnson and Megatron did not make a definitive statement to the Lions personnel man about his immediate future. Of course, Wood also said that the Lions would "love to have" Johnson back, though they'd support him if he did decided to hang his helmet and cleats up for good.
"He needs to decide what's fight for him," Wood said, per O'Hara. "The worst thing we could do is put pressure on him."
Johnson, 30, has been in the league for nine seasons now. In that time, he's amassed 731 receptions, 11,619 yards and 83 touchdowns. He has long been considered the premier wideout in the NFL, utilizing his astounding combination of size and athleticism to deliver consistent production despite opposing defenses scheming to take him away.
Unfortunately, Johnson has also battled through a number of injuries the past few years as his once superhuman body begins to break down. As with New England Patriots linebacker Jerod Mayo, who announced his retirement from the NFL earlier this week, at some point those injuries take a toll that becomes too much to bear.
Johnson, were he to return, would remain the biggest offensive weapon on the Lions roster. But with Detroit uncertain to even be a playoff team next season, it certainly wouldn't be surprising to see Johnson call it quits. Wood seems to understand this dynamic, suggesting that Lions fans are "right to be skeptical" of the team until they deliver consistent results on the field.
