With the possible retirement of Calvin Johnson, the attention turns to his health, the team, and possibly a place in the Hall of Fame.

Calvin Johnson was the Lions first round draft pick in the 2007 NFL Draft. At Georgia Tech he was voted as a first-team All-American twice, first-team All-ACC three times, as well as being the player of the year in 2006.

He has spent all nine of his of his NFL seasons as a member of the Lions and has become an all-time great for a franchise who hasn’t had too many stars.

The team may turn to Golden Tate, Eric Ebron, or a new addition from trades, free agency, and the draft to try to fill the void left should Johnson retire.

Johnson was a leader in many receiving categories over the last nine NFL seasons. He is among the great wide receivers in NFL history with 11,619 yards and 83 touchdowns. He broke a record held by the great Jerry Rice for most receiving yards in a single season at 1,964 yards. Johnson has been voted into the NFL Pro Bowl 6 times.

He has been voted as first team All-Pro 3 times and is the Lions all-time leader in yards and touchdowns.

The main reason that Calvin Johnson could be retiring is his health. He is still young enough to play at age 30 however, Johnson has suffered injuries to his knees, toes, and fingers, and recent revelations regarding concussions and the lifetime damage repeated hits can have may be factors in Johnson’s decision.

Johnson may become a part of a new trend of early retirement across the NFL. Players are now looking for a way to get out of this game healthy so they can do something after their football days are done, and still enjoy their lives.

Calvin Johnson is looking to get married this spring and start a family.

Should Calvin Johnson decide to retire, he’d be following in the footsteps of another Hall-of-Fame Lion, Barry Sanders who retired 10 years into his career.