Calvin Johnson reportedly told his family and a close circle of friends that 2015 would be his final season in the NFL, according to a report.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter is reporting that Johnson delivered the same message to the Detroit Lions and head coach Jim Caldwell, and Caldwell urged him to take take his time making a decision. Johnson has agreed to mull it over, and the Lions remain hopeful that he will return in 2016.
One person who knows Johnson well reportedly told Schefter that the 30-year-old receiver is “pretty content with his decision,” meaning the source does not expect Johnson to play next season.
Johnson has battled numerous injuries in recent years, and many of them have been very painful. He is said to have only shared his thoughts on retirement with two teammates — Matthew Stafford and Stephen Tulloch — and asked them to keep it quiet. The Lions did not learn of Johnson’s plans until after he told Stafford and Tulloch. Stafford, if you remember, said recently that Johnson would not talk about retirement if he was not serious about it.
One reporter recently speculated that the Lions could lure Johnson back with a customized practice schedule (details here), but it sounds like it would take a major change of heart for Megatron to agree to that.
