By now, we’ve likely all heard that Calvin Johnson is planning on retiring. However, former NFL receiver and current NFL Network analyst Nate Burleson isn’t ready to accept that his former teammate is ready to retire just yet.
Nate Burleson on if Calvin retirees: Maybe it's like being a fan of Tupac. I don't think he's dead yet, he's in Cuba. Maybe he's coming back
— Dave Birkett (@davebirkett) February 2, 2016
We can safely call Burleson an optimist, at least as it relates to Tupac, who died (or for Burleson’s sake, reportedly died) in September of 1996. As far as it relates to Megatron, Burleson’s take is quite a bit more reasonable, and he’s certainly not alone, as this scribe has the same skepticism.
Burleson did touch on another matter, which is Johnson’s contact, or lack thereof, with Detroit Lions general manager Bob Quinn.
Burleson did say it's "ridiculous" that new Lions GM Bob Quinn hasn't talked to Calvin yet.
— Dave Birkett (@davebirkett) February 2, 2016
That does seem ridiculous. The Lions should be doing what they can to bring him back, but perhaps they are just waiting for the right moment. A report came out Monday that the Lions may be trying to bring him back on a Larry Fitzgerald-type contract extension.
Johnson isn’t like Charles Woodson or Peyton Manning. He’s still more or less in the prime of his career, and it seems totally reasonable to believe that he can be a really good player for another five years or so. So, it’s a little easier to believe that he might just be tired at the end of a disappointing season and ready to call it a career.
When a player retires in the midst of his prime and hasn’t suffered any serious injuries, it’s a little hard to accept, at least until training camp, preseason, and even the regular season has gotten underway. Until Johnson is absent from those, it’s hard to completely believe that he’s calling it quits.