Calvin Johnson to retire

[LoneWolf]

http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/14686284/calvin-johnson-told-detroit-lions-plans-retire

[RobBlake]

****. wish he was on a competitive team.

[Pablo]

Holy shit. That sucks, dude was very fun to watch.

[Red Dawg]

Wow. He is not even old. Good for him.

[TimBone]

Man, it's hard to believe he's been in the league 9 years already.

If he's happy with his decision, good for him.

[MMXcalibur]

Go out as healthy as you can.

I don't beseech anyone to continue on in a sport as dangerous as football at the risk of their own health. Especially not for the Detroit Lions.

[teedubya]

Detroit, where great players retire early to get the fuck out of town.

[Marcellus]

LMAO at the Lions.

Between this and Barry Sanders they just look like clowns.

[Quesadilla Joe]

The guy made a boatload of money in his career. I think he signed the largest WR contract in NFL history twice.

[FloridaMan88]

Both Barry Sanders and Calvin Johnson retired at age 30.

Playing for Detroit must be a soul-sucking experience.

[TLO]

Detroit- Factory of Sadness 2 - Eclectic Bugaboo

['Hamas' Jenkins]

Hopefully HOF voters are smart enough to realize that it's not just about aggregating stats for 15 years like Andre Reed, but actually changing games, and few in league history did that like Calvin Johnson

[Toby Waller]

Get him off Madden games

[Hammock Parties]

Stafford's stats are going to nosedive.

[scho63]

Kinda shocked-thought he had many good years left. I guess Detroit sucked the life out of his career. Playing in Detroit 9 years is like 18 everywhere else except Cleveland or Oakland!

[LoneWolf]

Get him off Madden games

https://static4.fjcdn.com/thumbnails/comments/Gt+those+gases+are+also+found+in+joints+gt+those+_a5a9ca8dfab62351f05aab3cf01526f8.jpg

[Toby Waller]

https://static4.fjcdn.com/thumbnails/comments/Gt+those+gases+are+also+found+in+joints+gt+those+_a5a9ca8dfab62351f05aab3cf01526f8.jpg

Party-pooper :cuss:

[Mr. Laz]

Detroit ... just sucks the life out of these great players.

:shake:

[Jerm]

Think you're gonna start seeing this more and more with CTE and concussions...can't blame the guy at all.

Get out with your health and $....

[splatbass]

Detroit ... just sucks the life out of these great players.

:shake:

And their fans. People whine about the Chiefs, but try being a Detroit or Cleveland fan.

[ThaVirus]

He's one of the GOAT for sure. He's been a shell of his former self as of late mostly due to injury, though. I wonder how much he has left in the tank.

[Buehler445]

Hopefully HOF voters are smart enough to realize that it's not just about aggregating stats for 15 years like Andre Reed, but actually changing games, and few in league history did that like Calvin Johnson

This. You had to double the guy. Every snap.

[TigeRRUppeRRcut]

Spend your money while your brain still functions properly

[TigeRRUppeRRcut]

Matt Stafford just **** his pants. He is nothing without Megatron.

[Valiant]

Both Barry Sanders and Calvin Johnson retired at age 30.

Playing for Detroit must be a soul-sucking experience.

I think being in Detroit does that..


Draft board just changed for them..

[Deberg_1990]

Good for him. Make your money and get out of this miserable fucking game with your head still intact

[Rain Man]

Hopefully HOF voters are smart enough to realize that it's not just about aggregating stats for 15 years like Andre Reed, but actually changing games, and few in league history did that like Calvin Johnson

Yep. I'm tired of the Hall being the Hall of Played a Long Time. Let's make it the Hall of Fame again.

I'm looking at you when I say that, Jerome Bettis.

[-King-]

As great as he's been, I still don't think he should be a hall of famer.

[Shaid]

The guy has been hurt a ton lately. He should retire while he can still walk. Smart decision.

[ChiefAshhole1056]

Any chance for a Carson Palmer trade down the road?

[Rain Man]

As great as he's been, I still don't think he should be a hall of famer.

On first blush, I would say you're crazy, but then I started looking.


He's a five time pro bowl and three time all pro, which is less than Deron Cherry.

He played with a #1 pick at QB for almost his entire career, and on a team that was often behind and passing the ball.

He had 7 seasons of 1000+ years and 2 of those were above 1,500. He was a touchdown machine, scoring 12+ TDs.

He had one of the most dominant WR seasons ever, with 122 catches for 1,964 yards (though oddly, only 5 TDs).

He had perhaps the most dominant three-year stretch ever, averaging over 1,500 yards per year during that period.

His career average per catch is likely notably higher than average indicating that he was a deep threat or at least a RAC threat.



It's clear that he had a dominant run. Was it long enough? The bigger question to me is that he played in an era where a receiver can get 1,200 or 1,300 yards and not even make the pro bowl. He had high production, but a lot of receivers do in this era.

It's worth pondering, but as I look at it, I think I'd vote for him at this point. Not so much based on stats, but just because we know as observers that he was a dominant player for much of his career.

[WhawhaWhat]

Matt Stafford just **** his pants. He is nothing without Megatron.

Dwayne Bowe might be available.

[ThaVirus]

I feel like Johnson is a great HOF candidate.

He was truly dominant at his peak. Check out some of those individual season/game accolades. More than that, anyone that watched him in his prime knows he was a menace. A legitimate terror. Out-jumping three Bengals DBs to make a catch was a legendary play.

I was able to find it. I'll just link it since the NFL will copyright it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dTPiMEU1YLY

[ChiliConCarnage]

This has been quietly brewing for a while now. I won't blame him, he hasn't been the same guy the last couple of years.

[Lex Luthor]

Both Barry Sanders and Calvin Johnson retired at age 30.

Playing for Detroit must be a soul-sucking experience.
At least Calvin Johnson TOLD the team what he was planning to.

Barry Sanders snuck out of the country and was a no-show when training camp opened. He shit all over the team and the fans because he was too big a pussy to say "I'm retiring". I went from being a Barry Sanders fan to a hater when he did that.

[Coochie liquor]

I feel like Johnson is a great HOF candidate.

He was truly dominant at his peak. Check out some of those individual season/game accolades. More than that, anyone that watched him in his prime knows he was a menace. A legitimate terror. Out-jumping three Bengals DBs to make a catch was a legendary play.

I was able to find it. I'll just link it since the NFL will copyright it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dTPiMEU1YLY

Wow, like some matrix shit.

[Pasta Little Brioni]

Smart move

[TribalElder]

I can't blame him, a career trapped in Detroit is such a sad thing you might as well just quit because you have no chance. Just ask Barry Sanders

[tmax63]

I think it's turned into the HOReallyGood already. IMHO longevity is important as well as stats. Living in Donkeyland you hear that Terrell Davis should be in the hall because he has better #'s than Gale Sayers. TD doesn't belong in the Hall. He was great for a few seasons and that's it. There's a metric sh!t ton of players who were really good for 3-4 years over the 50 some years of modern football not to mention those tough SOB's who played before that. You need more than a few good years to get in. Innovation, changing the game, stats, a whole body of work concept needs to start being used before it gets diluted any further.

[KCCHIEFS27]

At least Calvin Johnson TOLD the team what he was planning to.

Barry Sanders snuck out of the country and was a no-show when training camp opened. He shit all over the team and the fans because he was too big a pussy to say "I'm retiring". I went from being a Barry Sanders fan to a hater when he did that.

He actually informed the team a day before training camp opened up.

[Amnorix]

Six players get into the hall every year. SIX. And yet people here think it's being watered down. :rolleyes:

What there is, however, is position imbalance. There's only one true kicker in the Hall. Give me a break. There are very, VERY few safeties. OLinemen and others in the trenches also tend to get the shaft compared to the QB/RB/WR positions.

[FloridaMan88]

The only thing that might hurt Calvin Johnson's HOF candidacy is the fact he only appeared in two postseason games (both losses).

Yes it isn't his fault that he played on bad teams in Detroit for most of his career and didn't have many chances to get to the playoffs, and he did have a 200 yard receiving game in one of his playoff appearances, but he would have the fewest playoff appearances of any modern day WR currently in the HOF.

[lcarus]

I have a feeling we will be hearing rumors of the Patriots getting him for years to come

[Bowser]

What's his contract situation? Is he coming up on the last year of it? If so, could this be one of those "sit out a year and see how he feels next year" years?

[ChiefAshhole1056]

Who deserves it more than, Calvin or Andre? Calvin had a shorter career of pure dominance with a #1 pick QB, while Andre had ass for QB throughout his career and put up consistent numbers. Neither had postseason success.

[The Franchise]

What's his contract situation? Is he coming up on the last year of it? If so, could this be one of those "sit out a year and see how he feels next year" years?

He'd be giving up $16 million dollars to sit out and see how he feels next year.

[Bowser]

He'd be giving up $16 million dollars to sit out and see how he feels next year.

Well, that is a ton to walk away from just to get your body right, if he really is even considering that. Just a pipe dream anyway to think any team, much less us, could swoop in after a year and scoop him up after he realizes how much he misses the sport. It's fun to dream, though.

[BossChief]

I can't blame him, a career trapped in Detroit is such a sad thing you might as well just quit because you have no chance. Just ask Barry Sanders

Then don't re-sign there.

Fact is, he decided to take crazy money to stay in that shithole.

[Rausch]

Well, that is a ton to walk away from just to get your body right, if he really is even considering that. Just a pipe dream anyway to think any team, much less us, could swoop in after a year and scoop him up after he realizes how much he misses the sport. It's fun to dream, though.

In his prime, yeah...

[FloridaMan88]

Who deserves it more than, Calvin or Andre? Calvin had a shorter career of pure dominance with a #1 pick QB, while Andre had ass for QB throughout his career and put up consistent numbers. Neither had postseason success.

Andre Johnson is in or near the top 10 in all time receptions and receiving yardage.

Calvin Johnson is not in the top 20 in either statistical category.

Calvin Johnson is 22nd all time in receiving TD's, compared with 41st all time for Andre Johnson which is the only statistical advantage he has over Johnson.

Interestingly right above Calvin Johnson for all time receiving TD's is Brock Middlebrook (Andre Rison), who is tied with Mark Clayton, Irving Fryar and Tommy McDonald.

[RippedmyFlesh]

Andre Johnson is in or near the top 10 in all time receptions and receiving yardage.

Calvin Johnson is not in the top 20 in either statistical category.

Calvin Johnson is 22nd all time in receiving TD's, compared with 41st all time for Andre Johnson which is the only statistical advantage he has over Johnson.

Interestingly right above Calvin Johnson for all time receiving TD's is Brock Middlebrook (Andre Rison), who is tied with Mark Clayton, Irving Fryar and Tommy McDonald.

Hamas addressed this

Hopefully HOF voters are smart enough to realize that it's not just about aggregating stats for 15 years like Andre Reed, but actually changing games, and few in league history did that like Calvin Johnson

[FloridaMan88]

Hamas addressed this

Hopefully HOF voters are smart enough to realize that it's not just about aggregating stats for 15 years like Andre Reed, but actually changing games, and few in league history did that like Calvin Johnson


Calvin Johnson didn't "change games" in the playoffs or "change games" enough to get his team into the playoffs very often (only two playoff appearances during his 9 year career and 0-2 in those playoff games).

Calvin Johnson has significantly fewer playoff games played in than any other modern-era WR currently in the HOF.

[RippedmyFlesh]

Calvin Johnson didn't "change games" in the playoffs or "change games" enough to get his team into the playoffs very often (only two playoff appearances during his 9 year career and 0-2 in those playoff games).

Calvin Johnson has significantly fewer playoff games played in than any other modern-era WR currently in the HOF.

Because Detroit is a playoff force to be reckoned with.
Wonder if when Sanders left the same arguments surfaced.

[Indian Chief]

I'm not the only one that said this, but I'll reiterate... let's see what kind of numbers Stafford puts up over the next five years, sans Calvin Johnson. Stafford is entering his age 28 season, so he's in his prime. I suspect that without CJ, he is awful.

[FloridaMan88]

Because Detroit is a playoff force to be reckoned with.
Wonder if when Sanders left the same arguments surfaced.

Barry Sanders had the stats to get into the HOF, second all time in career rushing yards at the time of his retirement (now third all time).

Calvin Johnson doesn't have the stats or the team success (playoffs, Super Bowls) on his resume.

[-King-]

Yeah there's no way I'd be okay with him getting in the HOF. I understand the impact argument but still, you still need the stats over a long career and he just doesn't have that.
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