Is Calvin Johnson "selfish" for retiring?

Toulon

Walterfootball.com created quite the stir on twitter with this take on sources reporting Megatron is retiring:

http://walterfootball.com/disastergrades.php

The only thing I can gather would qualify him as selfish would be the nearly 13 million dead money cap hit his retirement would cause the organization but that's not the reasoning used by Walter Football.

Weirfan

It's Nobody's business but his .

sdandrea1

Retirement is a personal decision. When it's time to go, you go.

Toulon

I understand that it is personal but most of the time when a person retires it doesn't cost the company they retired from 13 million.

Like you said, when it's time to go, you go. It sucks for the Lions org that he didn't honor his contract not that the Lions would have any issue not honoring it by cutting him but that's a huge hit for them. 13 million for no production but he would've cost more on their cap, I believe, had he played.

raggmann54

The Lions know what it would cost them when they signed him. If they made a bad business decision by agreeing to the terms, tough. Not his problem what the cap hit will be them. When you feel it's time to go, you should go because you won't be in it 100% - and in football that could hurt, forever.

FauxAmish

raggmann54

Exactly

Ack8236

Maybe he is just going to take a year off and carry a football in his hands 24 hours a day, then a year from now the NFL will finally say he "completed the process" and declare his last catch a reception.
He's missed games and played through injuries the last couple years. If he feels it's time, then it's time.

DC300

No, it's a business, if a team cuts a star, it's never "selfish". It's a helluva game, if he's had it, then he should go, he's been banged up every year for a while now.

brsmith

It probably stings because Barry Sanders basically did the same thing, he had enough.

I personally applaud that if he feels it is his time, in no way is it "selfish."

Nobody has the right to tell you what you should or shouldn't do with your well being.

wishbone

I don't think it is selfish. Only he has the right to determine when he has physically (or mentally) had enough.

brsmith

To add to what has been said, cap issues are the owner's problem in how their GM worked the deal. The team structures the deal and the player or agent can typically only or agree or not with what the team wants,but they don't have anything to do with the overall cap and how it is organized. I don't see how the Lions could have buyer's remorse, because Johnson was the only real offensive threat there for years.

professor

No. That's a smart move for anyone who's already got millions and understands concussion syndrome.

Shuff

I cannot believe I am saying this, but what Professor said.

garyt1957

It's pro football, not he office. At the office, you stay another year, you slog through it, not fun maybe, but that's it. In the NFL, you may not walk again, big difference.

potbunker

Smart.
His body is beat, fingers mangled.
Plus, it is the Lions for Pete's sake.

Eagleone

Lions hmmmm, Barry and now Megatron. Both had several years left but there is life after the game and both probably added a few more giving up the game

Ursus

It's not selfish at all. It's his life. It's his body and brain taking the punishment. He doesn't owe the Lions or the NFL anything and is smart to get out while he's still got his health.

brsmith

My step-father ran a 60 ton steam powered drop forge for John Deere for 40 years. He said his family could feel when he was running it from miles away. Of course this is a fun thread, but I found after having a set of Callaway Fusion Pro irons, with their Titanium face insert to be a complete surprise. Easily, the longest irons I have ever hit, but the faces have virtually no wear after 10 years. As far as feel, the Titleist 681 irons I owned were the best feeling ever, but even the best shot never had near the distance of the Fusions, Albeit, the lofts were stronger with the Fusions, but the Ti faces have far more pop.

ptjn1201

I think it's less selfish. He's not out there trying to pad his career stats when his heart isn't in it. And though it negatively affects the Lions' payroll flexibility, it is actually saving them money. Far better for top athletes to walk away before they get badly hurt. And it's always a little sad when the great ones hang on too long and spend a season or two not producing -- and it doesn't help their teams either. Would it have been more selfish for somebody like Steve Carlton to retire two years earlier than he did, or spend those last couple of years performing poorly, taking up a roster spot, and getting paid? We don't know the future -- he could get hurt and not be productive. If his heart isn't in it, there's no reason for him to go through the motions and risk injury.