San Francisco — Lions legend Barry Sanders retired after 10 years, and he thinks it would be devastating if Calvin Johnson followed in his footsteps and leaves the NFL after just nine seasons.
Sanders obviously understands what Johnson is going through as he left the NFL while he still had plenty of gas left in the tank, so to speak. Still, the reports that Johnson is considering retirement, a thought that Johnson’s friends have said is due mostly to health concerns, is surprising to Sanders.
“I feel like I’m stunned a little bit like most people,” he said Saturday before the NFL Honors at the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium.