Detroit Lions star wide receiver Calvin Johnson is retiring from the NFL, according to an official statement on the Lions’ website.
Regarding the money remaining on Johnson’s contract, the Lions reported that “matters were settled to the satisfaction of the parties.”
Thus ends the nine-year career of the man known to fans as “Megatron,” who Detroit drafted second overall out of Georgia Tech in 2007. Johnson leaves the NFL with 731 career catches for 11,619 yards and 83 touchdowns, numbers that should surely get him into the Hall of Fame someday.
Johnson also appeared in six Pro Bowls and twice led the NFL in receiving yards, in 2011 and 2012. The saddest part about his retirement is not the fact that he’s walking away from the game at just 30 years old, but that he only played in the postseason twice and never got past the NFC Wild Card Game. In 2008, Johnson was a member of the Lions team that did not win a single game.
But Johnson has also dealt with a number of nagging injuries over the past few seasons and is going out on his terms, which is all that matters.
Needless to say, the man will be missed tremendously.
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*Featured Photo (above) credit to USA TODAY Sports
