It sounds like the Detroit Lions will have a huge offensive hole to fill in 2016. ESPN's Adam Schefter is reporting wide receiver Calvin Johnson told Lions head coach Jim Caldwell the day after the regular season ended that 2015 would be his final season. Schefter is reporting Caldwell told him not to rush the decision, and it sounds like Detroit is still hoping he comes back.
Megatron has dealt with numerous injuries over the years, and it sounds like he wants to leave without being completely worn down from the game. Given that he had a chance to become financially secure for life (as well as the lives of his children and grandchildren), it's smart to get out before he is left in truly awful condition. He may still deal with issues down the road, but hopefully an "early" exit will leave him in decent shape when he's older.
It goes to show though how hard it is to last in the NFL. If Johnson retires, he will have nine years under his belt. It is well past the average career length, but still well below the careers of many of the all-time greats. Through nine years, Johnson ranks No. 43 in receptions (731) and No. 27 in receiving yards (11,619). Those are great numbers, but still leave him 818 receptions and 11,276 yards back of Jerry Rice on the all-time lists. That's just crazy.