9. Calvin Johnson:
Johnson was undoubtedly well on his way to becoming one of the greatest wide receivers ever. But fans still wonder what a complete career would have resulted in for the dominant “Megatron.” Johnson is one of multiple Detroit Lions to retire early from football, a disturbing trend for the franchise.
In terms of pure on-field performance, no one rivaled Johnson’s numbers when he was healthy. His finest work came during the 2012 season when he led the NFL in receptions and set an NFL single-season record for receiving yards with 1,964. That topped the single-season mark of even Jerry Rice, the man most consider to be the greatest wideout of all-time.
‘Megatron’ played nine seasons, announcing his retirement in March 2016. Nagging injuries caught up to the 6’5” superstar. He incited a bit of controversy when he claimed that he played with pain for most of the end of his career. Johnson said painkillers were handed out with little regulation to combat the pain football players experience. He holds nine all-time records for the Detroit franchise. There may not have been a more effective receiver in his prime. What he accomplished was historic, but fans wonder if Johnson could have been the greatest of all-time.