ESPN news: Calvin Johnson finally reveaveld the secret behind his retirement

Calvin Johnson, sometimes known as “Megatron,” thrilled NFL fans for nine seasons as one of the best wide receivers in the whole league.

Twice, he was the league leader in receiving yards; he was selected to six Pro Bowls, three All-Pro First Teams, and he helped provide some semblance of competitiveness to the long-suffering Detroit Lions.

However, Johnson stated that one of the main reasons he decided to retire early was because the Lions were never able to contend while he was there, as reported by Pivot Podcast.

At 6-foot-5 and about 240 pounds, Johnson is regarded as one of the greatest wide receivers in football history, and opposition defensive backs had a difficult time covering him.

With 1,964 receiving yards in 2012, he set an NFL record that has yet to be surpassed, despite the fact that the game has since gotten more pass-friendly.

Johnson was able to play with a good quarterback in Matthew Stafford, but he was unable to elevate the Lions to a championship-caliber team.

During his nine years in the league, all of which were spent in Detroit, the team only managed two winning seasons and just three postseason appearances, all of which ended in the Wild Card round.

Johnson claimed that he wasn’t willing to put in the necessary training because playing on a subpar squad “zapped all the fun out of the game” for him.

The Lions made it all the way to the NFC Championship Game this past season, winning their first playoff game since the 1991 campaign and taking first place in the NFC North.

Johnson would have loved being a part of a squad like that, one that had a genuine chance to win a Super Bowl.

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Packers Were Seen By Lions As A Danger To Select CB Terrion Arnold?

To begin the draft, the Lions and Eagles went cornerback-cornerback. This effectively completes Detroit’s rebuild at slot corner, beyond Brian Branch.

Terrion Arnold started the Lions’ CB-CB draft, then the next day, Missouri’s Ennis Rakestraw Jr. was selected by Detroit, following the team’s move up for the cover man from Alabama. Moving up the board was necessary for the Lions to reunite Branch and Arnold. According to the team’s intelligence, a division rival was likely hiding.

As noted by Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com, Arnold’s camp saw the Packers as a team that should be seriously considered to select the corner at No. 25. Arnold was reportedly viewed highly by the Packers prior to Round 1. The Cowboys forced the Lions to move up five spots in order to choose Arnold at No. 24, capping an intriguing CB makeover at the position.

Going into the offseason, there was considerable turnover due to coverage concerns, but the Lions had trade acquisition Carlton Davis set up to play alongside Cameron Sutton. But, Sutton’s arrest for domestic abuse and his subsequent refusal to surrender himself in caused the Lions to pull the trigger on their 2023 free agency acquisition. Following that arrest, the team continued to look for ways to save costs because it declined to tender Jerry Jacobs as an RFA. The group is currently thoroughly examining the role, with Davis, Branch Emmanuel Moseley, Amik Robertson, and Kindle Vildor are joined by Arnold and Rakestraw. Considering that Moseley has suffered two ACL tears since October 2022, the former 49ers mainstay is currently more of a gambler than a reliable player. Compared to last year, the Lions paid a lot less to sign him.

With the exception of the 2020 Jordan Love trade-up, Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst entered this draft 7-for-8 in selecting defense with first-round selections. Since 2011, the Pack had not selected an offensive player in the first round before Gutekunst took over as general manager in 2018. Gutekunst’s draft run included Jaire Alexander and Eric Stokes, the latter of whom had early career injury issues and did not see his fifth-year option picked up. At the deadline of the previous year, the Packers also dealt Rasul Douglas to the Bills.

Green Bay didn’t choose a corner until Round 7 (Kalen King), and they didn’t join Detroit in hosting Arnold on a “30” visit. At No. 25, the team selected Jordan Morgan, a tackle. The Packers discussed trading for No. 16 with the Seahawks, but they never made an offer for that pick. To go from No. 29 to No. 24, the Lions had to give up a 2025 seventh-round pick and their No. 73 overall pick. They’ll wager that Arnold is worth the box that was shipped to Dallas.

According to SI.com’s Albert Breer, the Lions did not think it plausible that Arnold would still be there by No. 24, but it is thought that the organization put together trade conditions involving another player. That expedited Detroit’s ascent up the ranks. Given that the Eagles were presumably the favorites to select Arnold at No. 22, the Lions watched as Philadelphia selected Quinyon Mitchell of Toledo. The fact that there was no defensive pick until the fifteenth round in the draft helped both clubs. According to Breer, Brad Holmes and company were considering Mizzou’s Darius Robinson as the guy the Lions were originally hoping to get through a trade-up.

According to SI.com’s Albert Breer, the Lions did not think it plausible that Arnold would still be there by No. 24, but it is thought that the organization put together trade conditions involving another player. That expedited Detroit’s ascent up the ranks. Given that the Eagles were presumably the favorites to select Arnold at No. 22, the Lions watched as Philadelphia selected Quinyon Mitchell of Toledo. The fact that there was no defensive pick until the fifteenth round in the draft helped both clubs. According to Breer, Brad Holmes and company were considering Mizzou’s Darius Robinson as the guy the Lions were originally hoping to get through a trade-up.