There had been some rumors during the 2017 regular season that Calvin Johnson might make a comeback after a two-year hiatus from the NFL.
While seemingly still in the prime of his career, Johnson abruptly retired from the NFL at the age of 30 following the 2015 season. It came after he put up 88 receptions for 1,214 yards and nine touchdowns for the Lions.
The speculation of him returning to the game was based primarily on the issues he had with Detroit’s organization prior to retirement and the fact that he could still be among the game’s best receivers.
Johnson put an end to this speculation in a long essay on The Players’ Tribune Tuesday.
“People see me in their airport and automatically assume I’m in town to meet with their team — to come out of retirement,” Johnson wrote. “But I’m not.”
Johnson went on to talk about his post-NFL life and how he’s able to do stuff that weren’t available to him during his playing career, including skiing and fishing. Johnson’s essay wasn’t necessarily to solely announce he’s still retired from the game. Instead, it was to give his fans an idea of how retirement is treating him.
It still puts an end to any idea that Johnson might turn in the good retirement life to join a contending team. And in reality, the receiver’s previous comments on the state of the league pretty much foreshadowed his “announcement” on Tuesday.