Johnson had been rumored to be considering retirement for months.Â, Johnson finishes his career as the Lions' all-time leader in catches (731), yards (11,619) and touchdowns (83). #CalvinJohnson #Megatron #DetroitLionsIf you're new, Subscribe! On top of all of these problems, Calvin Johnson felt like his health was deteriorating. I don’t have my range of motion like I use to. It was somehow more realistic that way.Â. Calvin Johnson and the Detroit Lions have not been on good terms since the wide receiver retired nearly five years ago, but it sounds like they have finally begun the process of clearing the air. He was left with two choices: keep playing or retire. He worked with his position coach, Shawn Jefferson, who helped him to break the single-season receiving yards record in 2012. But now he's decided to open up about … Calvin Johnson retired from the NFL on March 8, 2016, because of the poor working environment with the Detroit Lions. He made friends with veteran players who would point out big problems to him. Calvin Johnson retires from NFL Calvin Johnson has retired from the NFL, the Detroit Lions announced Tuesday, bringing an early end to the career of … He saw the team’s General Manager throw away a first-round pick on a player that didn’t fit with their coaching strategy. Calvin Johnson was so dominant as an NFL wide receiver for nine seasons that to get a feel for his greatness, all you had to do was play the Madden video game for a few minutes. A post shared by Calvin Johnson Jr. (@megatron) After a 7-9 campaign in 2015 that saw Detroit miss its seventh postseason in nine years, Johnson decided to retire during the offseason . Calvin Johnson Jr., (born September 29, 1985) nicknamed "Megatron", is a former American football wide receiver who spent his entire nine-year career with the Detroit Lions. Johnson, who retired at age 30, joined Hall of Fame running back Barry Sanders as Lions icons who walked away from the game still in their prime. Calvin Johnson retires at 30 but his body has fought him since he began to play professional football. After announcing his retirement, Calvin Johnson did an E:60 Profile with ESPN where he said he was no longer able to give 100 percent because of his injuries. Calvin Johnson and the Detroit Lions have not been on good terms since the wide receiver retired nearly five years ago, but it sounds like they have finally begun the process of clearing the air. Among those to pay homage was Barry Sanders — a former Lions great who shares a little too much in common with Johnson for some Detroit fans.Â, A couple of words on the announcement of Calvin's retirement today: https://t.co/u5cOAZXnKT pic.twitter.com/vw60FPBf4S, — Barry Sanders (@BarrySanders) March 8, 2016, Sanders was a Lions icon, and is one of the greatest running backs the NFL has ever seen. Now, at the young footballing age of 30, Johnson has retired from the NFL, joining a growing list of players who have quit football early. I just don’t have the love for it because I was just always hurting.”. On Saturday night, Calvin Johnson joined the most eli. You can argue that Johnson is one of the best wide receivers ever to play the game based on his numbers during his playing career. The Lions forced Johnson to pay back a significant amount (he estimates it at $1.6 million) of the $16 million signing bonus he collected when he re-signed with the team in 2012. What Happens When Calvin Johnson Retires Posted on February 1, 2016 February 1, 2016 by Jason Fitzgerald According to an ESPN report by Adam Schefter, Calvin Johnson has informed the Detroit Lions that he plans to retire rather than return for the 2016 season . Calvin Johnson says that Shawn Jefferson was hands down the best receivers coach he had seen in the league. Calvin Johnson told reporters in Italy last week that he didn't see a chance to win a Super Bowl with the Lions, which played a part in his decision to retire from the NFL last year. He pointed out that the two areas that could have helped the team have more success in the league were never aligned; that was the coaching staff and the head office. He played college football at Georgia Tech, and was drafted by the Lions second overall in the 2007 NFL Draft. However, he retired from the league during his prime playing years, so what happened? Last March, rising San Francisco 49ers star Chris Borland retired at age 24 over concerns about the long-term effects of a career built around head-on collisions. He broke a lot of these issues down in a 2019 interview with Sports Illustrated. The Lions made the announcement on Tuesday morning.. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest wide receivers of all time despite his early retirement at age 30 in 2016. However, Johnson was green and he had hope. He joined the team in 2007 as their first draft pick and second pick overall. To add insult to injury, Johnson has said that he is certain he had a serious concussion every season of his career. Calvin Johnson: Bigger, Stronger, Faster and, Maybe Soon, Retired The Lions’ Calvin Johnson and Matthew Stafford in January after what may have been Johnson… But, in his mind, it was the right thing for him to do. Soon the losing streak that the Lions were notorious for became very evident to Johnson. Calvin Johnson was made to pay back at least $1 million of the $16 million he received as a signing bonus for that eight-year contract. He has stated that this number is probably on the low end too. Calvin Johnson will NEVER play football again ... telling TMZ Sports his fingers are so jacked up, "I ain't trying to catch no more footballs. Mashable, Inc. All Rights Reserved. He had played nine seasons all with the Detroit Lions. When Jefferson’s contract was up in the off-season of 2012, head coach Jim Schwartz wouldn’t renew it. My body is aching. In 2012, he racked up 1,964 receiving yards to break the old mark held by Hall of Famer Jerry Rice.Â, That was Johnson's unfortunate fate in the eyes of many NFL fans — a prodigious talent mired by an awful team. We're using cookies to improve your experience. is a global, multi-platform media and entertainment company. Calvin Johnson retires early from the NFL, re-opening an old wound for Detroit Lions fans. Scroll down to read more about why Calvin Johnson found the Detroit Lions’ working environment toxic, his declining health, and what happened when he retired. He chose to retire and there were some repercussions for that decision. When Johnson announced his retirement at the age of 30, a lot of fans wondered why he made the decision. The Detroit Lions announced that the wide receiver will retire on Tuesday after playing nine seasons with the team. Johnson had been rumored to be considering retirement for months.Â, Better Business Bureau Accredited Business. While Johnson was still young, he was unable to see the flaws within the organization, however, as he learned more about the workings of NFL teams he started to see issues. He asked for them to release him from his contract, which had been signed in 2012 for eight years, but his request was denied by the team. But, they wouldn’t let him out of the contract. I just don’t feel it. © 2020 Black Sands Media - All Rights Reserved. When Calvin Johnson announced that he would be retiring on March 8, 2016, many Detroit Lions fans were shocked. You can watch Calvin Johnson’s full ‘All the Smoke’ podcast interview with Showtime Basketball in the below video. Calvin Johnson retired from the NFL on March 8, 2016, because of the poor working environment with the Detroit Lions. Johnson retired at age 30, finishing his career with 731 catches for 11,619 yards and 83 touchdowns. At this point, why not? In the interview, Johnson highlighted that during his second year with the Lions, their quarterback Jon Kitna said that there was no way the team would win a single game with the current strategy in place. Johnson told Justin Rogers of the Detroit News on Sunday that he has had recent conversations with Lions owner Sheila Ford Hamp, and the two sides are moving toward reconciling . 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