Former Lions receiver Calvin Johnson says the team’s poor record was a factor in his decision to call it quits this offseason.
Johnson, who played in only two playoff games in his nine-season career in Detroit, told Michael Smith of ESPN that he would have had a harder time leaving if he had been leaving a team in Super Bowl contention.
“If we would’ve been a contender, it would have been harder to let go,” Johnson said.
Johnson also said he had a “fair share” of concussions, even though he was never officially listed on the NFL injury report as suffering a concussion. He also said he played through pain regularly, and took pain medications given to him by team doctors.
After nine years, Johnson decided it wasn’t worth it to keep playing through the pain. Especially when it never got him close to a Super Bowl.