Luke Kuechly and 5 star players who retired in their primes

Calvin Johnson

Calvin Johnson saw himself back in the news this past season after reports the Detroit Lions wanted to welcome him back to the Motor City. Well, he said the only thing getting him back to Ford Field is the money he says the team took from him when he called it quits. The Lions took back more than $1 million of his signing bonus after he retired back in 2015.

There were reports that Megatron was bluffing when he floated the idea of retirement in February of that year, but just a month later he was done with football. He was still one of, if not the best receiver in the league. Johnson was just 30 years old at the time of his retirement. A.J. Green is about to get another payday at the age of 31.

Johnson would have likely fallen off slightly, as the injuries started to pile up. It’s just how age and football interact. Over the years, he had already suffered a series of knee, ankle and finger injuries. Things were starting to take their toll, and that can change the mindset of a player. Just having to go through an hours-long process to make your body ready to play a game every week is exhausting.

Johnson is another player that’s going to be on the cusp of Hall of Fame eligibility. The committee hasn’t been kind to these players in the past, but they may need to rethink how they consider entrance into the Hall. Especially with the next guy…