The Detroit Lions received some tough news this week, which was the news that superstar wide receiver Calvin Johnson is planning to retire. It seems that at this point in time he has made up his mind to walk away from the game. That being said, the Lions aren’t going to give up on him and let him walk off into the sunset without a fight.
According to a report from Ian Rapoport, the Lions are hoping to convince him to decide against retirement with a Larry Fitzgerald type of contract.
Goal for #Lions coaches & staff: Find a way to bring Calvin Johnson back. It wouldn't be at his current salary, but with Fitz-like extension
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) February 1, 2016
Johnson ended up having a very solid all-around season with the Lions this season. He definitely struggled at times with injuries throughout the season and it did appear that age had caught him a bit. Despite those facts, he still showed star talent and made impacts on the games that he played in.
Throughout the 2015 season, Johnson ended up catching 88 passes for 1,214 yards and nine touchdowns.
At 30 years old, Johnson still has plenty of football left in his career if he wants to play it. He would have at least a few years left playing at a No. 1 wide receiver level. Not only has Johnson been an excellent player throughout his career, he has always made sure to be classy and has carried himself very well.
Looking ahead at the upcoming offseason, it isn’t going to be easy to get him to come back. Making the decision to retire isn’t an easy choice, but it definitely means that he has thought through all the possibilities very thoroughly.
Expect to see plenty of rumors about Johnson this coming offseason and to see the Lions bring a contract offer to the table in hopes of luring him back for at least a year or two more.
