Lions fans everywhere have been waiting patiently for the news on Calvin Johnson’s future ever since the season ended; unfortunately, it’s not the news that fans was hoping for.
Calvin Johnson Told Jim Caldwell that he Plans to Retire
Megatron plans on retiring from the NFL after 9 seasons.
Calvin Johnson told Lions he plans to retire. Full story on ESPN:https://t.co/Syqr41b6pR https://t.co/iGoFexUkE2
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 31, 2016
ESPN Insider Adam Schefter said that Calvin Johnson told the Lions he was going to retire this offseason. Though Johnson hasn’t publicly announced it, we get the feeling that it’s most likely going to happen. Injuries have taken their toll on Calvin Johnson over the years, and after 9 seasons, Megatron intends to walk away from football.
Calvin Johnson is a lock for the Hall of Fame, but is he a first-ballot Hall of Famer? Absolutely. In the prime of his career, many were comparing CJ to the likes of Jerry Rice and Randy Moss. The only thing keeping Calvin out of the conversation for being one of the greatest receivers of all-time is his longevity. Most fans can’t even fathom the idea that Calvin Johnson is retiring. It’s just crazy to think of the Lions without their star wide receiver.
Lions Have Fired Sheldon White
The Lions decided to part ways with Sheldon White.
The Detroit Lions have parted ways with Sheldon White. https://t.co/0q9b3KckBK pic.twitter.com/jPtlfxI6aD
— Justin Rogers (@Justin_Rogers) February 4, 2016
White had been named the interim general manager midway through the season after the Lions fired Martin Mayhew. Sheldon White played for the Lions in the early 90’s, then rejoined the team in 1997 as a scout. White has been the Lions’ director of pro personnel for the past 15 seasons and interviewed for the Lions’ permanent GM job, but the team decided to hire Bob Quinn instead.
Tate Believes he can be a No. 1 Receiver
In the wake of the Calvin Johnson retirement talk, Golden Tate said that he’s confident he could be the No. 1 receiver.
ICYMI: @ShowtimeTate is confident he can be a No. 1 receiver if needed. https://t.co/9lh6P4hGZe
— Tim Twentyman (@ttwentyman) February 5, 2016
Tate has proven in the past that he’s able to preform without Calvin on the field; in 2014 when Johnson was sidelined with an injury, Tate took over as the team’s No. 1 target and played outstanding in Calvin’s absence. In 2 games that Megatron sat out, Tate racked up 305 yards and 2 scores while leading the Lions to comeback victories in both of those games.
Tate seems to really step up when he’s needed and provides a spark for the offense. The Lions would obviously need to find another receiver to pair with Tate if Calvin were to retire, but he’s perfectly capable of being this team’s number one option going forward.
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