The first headline from Super Bowl Sunday was not related to the Carolina Panthers or the Denver Broncos, the two teams squaring off in the game. Marshawn Lynch, as he has so many times throughout his career in the National Football League, stole the show. Media outlets began reporting early Sunday morning that Lynch has been telling his closest friends of his plans to retire. This makes Lynch the second star player in the past two weeks to at least consider retirement, the other being Calvin Johnson, who is rumored to have told his inner circle that 2015 would be his last season as well. Lynch, who is only 29, is a star running back for the Seattle Seahawks, while Johnson, 30, plays wide receiver for the Detroit Lions. Both players are considered to be among the league’s best at their respective positions, but both seem to be prepared to hang up their cleats earlier than most star NFL players do.
Lynch and Johnson have both had their share of injuries. Lynch has only played a full season four times in his nine-year career, and this season he played in just nine total games between the regular and postseason while battling a hernia. Johnson, also a nine-year veteran, had one of his most healthy seasons in 2015, but saw his production drop significantly. He posted a career low in yards per reception and struggled with drops. However, images of Lynch leading the Seahawks to a Super Bowl victory just two seasons ago are still fresh in NFL fan’s minds, and Johnson racked up nearly 2,000 receiving yards in 2012. What happened?
It needs to be understood that these two men do not fit the “typical NFL player” stereotype. Fans are used to seeing Lynch give, or not give, entertaining answers during press conferences, drive golf carts on the field after the game and, my personal favorite, hang velvet ropes around his car when he parks in public places, so it’s no surprise that his career could take another turn. Also, people seem to forget that Lynch had a career before coming to Seattle, making a Pro Bowl during his three and a half years as a Buffalo Bill. A nine-year career for a physical running back such as Lynch is nothing to be ashamed of in today’s NFL.
A similar argument can be made for Johnson. Johnson has taken many hits over his career. Unlike most receivers his size, he can not only run deep routes, but also serve as a possession receiver, which increases the amount of times he gets tackled every game. His 6’5” frame has shown signs of deterioration over the past few seasons, and it can be seen in the box score as well. Johnson is seen as great teammate and has a reputation for being very smart guy, meaning he could have done the math and decided something did not add up.
With the news breaking that Hall of Fame quarterback Ken Stabler’s brain showed he had stage 3 CTE in his brain at the time of his death, players have yet another reason to call it quits early in their careers. Who knows if that specific incident factored into Lynch and Johnson’s decisions, but their long term health in general was almost certainly something they were concerned about. If these two players do go through with their alleged retirement plans, the NFL will have two of their highest profile players walk away before the usual NFL player would. Consider these early retirements the first signs of what could be a mass exodus of NFL players from the league as health concerns continue to rise, and fans everywhere should keep a watchful eye on how the NFL handles the situation.