When a player who had 88 catches for 1,214 yards and nine touchdowns the previous season decides to retire the way Calvin Johnson did, it’s an easy inclination to continue wondering whether that player will reconsider his decision. Matthew Stafford does not think Megatron will.
Stafford was interviewed on WJR-AM and talked about his longtime teammate’s decision to walk away from the game.
“For me, I take him very seriously at his word,” Stafford said. “I’m sure he’s going to miss football. It was a big part of his life. But at the same time, I think he’s happy with his decision and he’s at peace with it. I know he’ll still pull for us, but in my mind, I don’t see (a return) happening.”
Stafford also said that after playing together with Johnson for seven seasons, he had a feeling last season might be their last time together.
“I had some inklings, and some conversations with him, and I know him well enough to know the way he was acting, the way he was talking, there was a chance it might be his last year,” Stafford said.
The Lions must have realized Johnson was serious too, because they signed former Bengals wide receiver Marvin Jones to a five-year, $40 million deal in March. In addition to Jones, they still have Golden Tate, who had 813 yards and six touchdowns last season. While they’ll definitely be missing Calvin Johnson — few receivers are as big of a game-changer as he is — they still have some other options.
And what’s interesting is that Stafford says he always thought Johnson was serious about retirement, while another Lions player thought Megatron was joking.
