Calvin Johnson retiring from NFL, Lions announce

— -- ALLEN PARK, Mich. -- Calvin Johnson is hanging them up.

The most prolific receiver in Detroit Lions history and one of the most talented receivers in NFL history is retiring after nine NFL seasons in which he had over 11,000 receiving yards, seven 1,000-yard seasons, six Pro Bowl invitations.

He holds almost every significant franchise record. The man nicknamed Megatron holds 15 NFL records, including the most receiving yards in a season with 1,964 in 2012.

In a statement released by the Lions, Johnson said he would not be having a news conference to discuss his decision to retire.

"Let me begin by apologizing for making this announcement via a statement and not in person. While I truly respect the significance of this, those who know me best will understand and not be surprised that I choose not to have a press conference for this announcement.

"After much prayer, thought and discussion with loved ones, I have made the difficult decision to retire from the Lions and pro football. I have played my last game of football.

"Let me assure you that this was not an easy or hasty decision. As I stated, I, along with those closest to me, have put a lot of time, deliberation and prayer into this decision and I truly am at peace with it.

"I also want you to know that I have the utmost respect and admiration for the game of football. It has provided so much for me and my family and I will be forever grateful to the game.

"With the reality of my decision, I realize there are a lot of people I would like to thank. I must start with my family -- thank you for all your love and support.

"I also want to especially thank Mrs. Ford and the Ford Family for all their support over the years. They are tremendous owners and I loved playing for them. I would also like to recognize Mr. Ford, who I was honored to know and play for before he passed away.

"While it would be hard to name them all, I would also like to thank all of my teammates past and present.

"I also want to thank all of my coaches who I played for, in particular Coach Caldwell for his support, wisdom and guidance over the past two seasons. I loved playing for Coach Caldwell.

"There are so many other people I would like to recognize and thank for what they have done for me throughout my career, but rather than risk forgetting someone, I will simply say "thanks" to everyone.

"And finally, to the fans of Detroit and Michigan. I so appreciated your passionate support over the years and truly enjoyed playing for you. I loved playing in Detroit and will forever be a Lion. My biggest regret is that I wasn't able to help give our fans a championship. But I do believe the future of the Lions is bright and with the leadership from people like Rod Wood and Bob Quinn, who I have gotten to know over the past few months, I am confident that our fans will soon be rewarded with the championship you deserve.

"From the bottom of my heart I thank you all for everything."

The Lions announced Tuesday that Johnson has filed his retirement papers with the NFL in advance of the start of the new league year, which starts Wednesday at 4 p.m. ET.

The 30-year-old announced on Jan. 6 he was evaluating his options for the future and now he's made that decision. While Johnson has been dynamic, his body has been beaten up. He has dealt with knee, ankle and finger injuries over the past four seasons and played through an ankle injury the last eight weeks of the 2015 season.

A source told ESPN's Ed Werder at the time of Johnson's initial announcement the decision centered around whether Johnson wanted to play football. Besides his injuries, the Lions had seven losing seasons in his nine years with the Lions.

Meanwhile, Johnson has maintained the highest level of play. Johnson had said consistently over the past few months he wanted to play his entire career in Detroit and wanted to win with the Lions.

"Very few people have achieved the kind of excellence that he has in terms of his playing career," Lions coach Jim Caldwell said last season. "I mean, he's been incredible and the numbers keep stacking up and it's because of the fact that he's one of those guys that makes plays week-in and week-out, year-in and year-out and it's consistent.

"A lot of guys that you've seen, if you take a look, they've had a great game and maybe never have a great game again or they've had a great eight-game stretch or they've maybe had a great year. But very few people can stack them on top of one another year after year after year after year. He's one of those guys.

"His approach to the game, I think, is outstanding. His performances have been absolutely incredible and he practices the same way."

He won't be anymore, though.

He was due to make $24 million against the cap in 2016. The Lions will save at least $11.1 million in cap space with Johnson's retirement and as of now, the franchise is still on the hook for $12.9 million in dead money for 2016.

On Tuesday, the Lions also announced, with respect to Johnson's contract, that those "matters were settled to the satisfaction of the parties."

Johnson was the No. 2 overall pick of the Lions in 2007, selected just after Oakland took JaMarcus Russell. Johnson proved the smarter pick.

Johnson's records with the Lions include most career receptions (731), career receiving yards (11,619), receiving yards in a season (1,965), receiving yards in a game (329), career receiving touchdowns (83) and receiving touchdowns in a season (16).

Among the NFL's elite, he is No. 43 all-time in receptions, No. 27 in yards and No. 22 in touchdowns. According to Pro Football Reference, his 86.1 yards per game receiving average is second all-time behind Julio Jones, who is averaging 95.4 yards per game over the past five seasons.

Johnson only made two playoff appearances, though, in 2011 and 2014. Detroit lost both those games.

Johnson's retirement is somewhat similar to another Lions icon, Barry Sanders.

Sanders, considered one of the best running backs in history and the most popular Lions player in history, retired on the eve of training camp in 1999 at age 31 after 10 seasons. Now, Johnson is leaving the game after nine years at age 30.

The two players are the most recognizable Lions in franchise history and might have been two of the most beloved players. But they transcended the city of Detroit and made the Lions, which have never reached the Super Bowl, relevant on the national stage.