30-year old Calvin Johnson stunned the NFL landscape after reports surfaced Sunday that the wideout told Lions personnel he plans to retire.
Even more alarming, rumors are that “Megatron” is retiring at a young age because of concerns over head trauma and the new research surrounding CTE.
We can only guess the reasons for his early retirement. But Johnson is one of the smartest and most talented players in the game and still has possibly several years worth of his prime. In fact, if he does retire this year, it will be the first time in history a receiver left the game following such a successful season (1,214 yards, 9 TDs).
Megatron is a sure-fire first-ballot Hall-of-Famer, a player who not only has the most career TDs on turkey day, but the most receiving yards in a single season (2012, breaking Jerry Rice’s record).
Because of the NFL’s overzealous policy on Youtube, it’s hard to find clear video of Johnson’s best plays from his 9-year NFL career with the Lions. But there are some videos from his Georgia Tech days. And holy crap are they impressive.
“The Catch” …
A man amongst kids.
The Dive …
Another ridiculous catch, a fade towards the corner of the endzone, totally laying out Willie Mays style.
The highlight reel …
Was there anyone better in the 2000s?
That was reason he went No. 2 overall in the 2007 NFL draft.
Of course it could be all speculative at this point — Megatron could return, and who knows, in a different uniform. It’s possible he’s tired of the lethargy in Detroit. It’s also possible he wants to be able to walk and remember his kids’ names at age 50.
Megatron currently ranks 27th all-time in receiving yards with 11,619
Josh Helmuth is the editor of Crave Sports. Follow him on Twitter or like the channel on Facebook.
Photo: Getty
