Adrian Peterson hopes Calvin Johnson doesn’t retire
By Adam Carlson
Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson hopes that Detroit Lions wide receiver Calvin Johnson doesn’t hang up his cleats after 9 years in the NFL.
Rumors that the premiere wide receiver for the Detroit Lions could decide to retire have fans all around the NFL watching the situation very closely. One of the individuals so are keeping an eye on Calvin Johnson this offseason is Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson.
Peterson is very familiar with Johnson. The to have been division rivals for many years and both are considered to be the franchise player for their respective teams. However, one of the most interesting ties between these two players is the 2007 NFL Draft, where Calvin Johnson was Detroit’s #2 overall selection and Adrian Peterson was #7 overall by Minnesota.
With Peterson talking about not retiring any time soon, seeing another superstar from the same draft class talk about retiring might be a bit scary to the star running back. According to an article on the Detroit Free Press website, Adrian Peterson talked about the possibility of Johnson’s retirement at the NFL Honors show during Super Bowl 50 weekend.
"“I hope he don’t (retire),” Peterson said. “It’d be sad to see him go with so much potential left, so much left in the tank.”"
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Having gas left in the tank is something Adrian Peterson hopes that he has. The running back continues to put lofty goals on himself, including 2,000 yard seasons, NFL rushing titles, and more. With how dominating Calvin Johnson has been in the past, there is little doubt that he could continue to contribute at a high level.
"“You’ll just miss what he do,” Peterson said. “He’s an outstanding player. Can’t name too many guys that make the type of plays that he makes. So it’ll be sad to see that go.”"
It is being reported that the Detroit Lions are hoping to convince Calvin Johnson to return for the 2016 NFL season, but there have also been reports that he has informed his close friends and family that he would retire after the 2015 season.
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The NFC North may never be the same again if Calvin Johnson can’t be convinced to return to the Detroit Lions. Receivers like him are rare in the NFL, just like premiere running backs like Adrian Peterson are. However, if Johnson is retiring for his health or his family, those are great reasons to call it a career, but fans would miss out on some of the best wide receiver play in the league for the last decade.