Megatron, Beast Mode to hang up their cleats

The end of the NFL season has been headlined by the remarkable run by the Denver Broncos and the uncertain future of their legendary, surefire first-ballot Hall of Fame quarterback, Peyton Manning, who has made 40 look like the new 30.

Consequently those events have detracted attention from the surprising — and earlier than expected — retirements of Seattle Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch (29) and Detroit Lions wide receiver Calvin Johnson (30), two players who, in their own right, were among the most memorable players to play their respective positions.

These seemingly premature departures from the gridiron have called into question the longevity of players in today’s game, left the Seahawks and Lions in drastically different situations going forward, and most importantly, given us the opportunity to look back at two extraordinary careers. Even though Lynch and Johnson did not play as long as many would have expected, they leave behind two different, but memorable legacies.

Lynch, who played three seasons on the University of California Golden Bears, was drafted with the 12th overall pick of the 2007 NFL Draft by the Buffalo Bills. Lynch played three productive but unremarkable seasons with Buffalo before being shipped west to the Seattle Seahawks.

It was later that season, in the Wild Card Round of the playoffs, where Lynch’s stardom took off and he acquired the nickname “Beast Mode,” following a run during which he broke tackles by just about every defensive player on the New Orleans Saints and that triggered a celebration by Seattle fans that actually registered on the seismograph.

Lynch would become one of the most consistent Running Backs in football during his time in Seattle and was known for his absolutely relentless running style and his ability to bulldoze his way past defenders.

Most importantly though, he propelled Seattle to the national stage, leading the Seahawks to four more playoff appearances, two Super Bowl appearances and one championship in Super Bowl XLVIII over the Broncos. Lynch was plagued by injury this season, playing only half of Seattle’s games before announcing his retirement during Super Bowl 50 with a picture representing the idea of hanging up his cleats.

As for Johnson, the star wide receiver was selected with the second overall pick of that same 2007 Draft after playing three stellar seasons at Georgia Tech.

Individually he has done more than a wide receiver could ever dream of over nine his seasons, including surpassing 49ers legend Jerry Rice’s single season receiving record by reaching 1,964 yards in 2012.

Johnson, also know as “Megatron,” holds numerous other records, including the single-game record for receiving yards in regulation and the record for being the fastest to reach 10,000 career receiving yards.

Despite the individual success that he experienced throughout his career, Johnson was always forced to play for a Detroit team that never quite took the next step towards becoming a championship-caliber team.

During Johnson’s nine-year career, the Lions were winless in their two playoff games and played the worst season in NFL history in 2008, finishing 0-16. After another impressive 2015 campaign, sources revealed that Johnson had played his final season in the NFL, citing numerous nagging injuries that had taken too great a toll on his body for him to want to return.

While these announcements initially caught the football world off-guard, they are not as inconceivable as one may be led to believe. Lynch and Johnson were physical players, defined by their ability to punish defenders and, simultaneously, endure a toll on their own bodies.

With the plethora of new information being released about the long-term consequences that playing football has had on former players, as well as attention in the mass media from the movie Concussion and other projects, players are starting to second-guess sacrificing their lives beyond football in order to play lengthy careers.

Furthermore, with the monumental contracts being given out in today’s game, walking away earlier than expected has become a much more reasonable decision.

In terms of reaching goals, Lynch already has a Super Bowl ring and Johnson was stuck on a team where he was playing for personal achievement, but would probably never get a ring no matter how well he played individually. The risk/reward ratio no longer leaned towards playing more football for these two men, who can now do something else with their lives and let their abused bodies rest.

There is no doubt that Lynch and Johnson will be remembered for a long time, but their road to the Hall of Fame will be an uphill battle. Lynch was absolutely unstoppable is his prime, but this period of time only lasted for about five years.

He is 24th all time in rushing touchdowns and 36th all time in rushing yards, surrounded by running backs who, for the most part, did not get elected to the Hall of Fame. Johnson is in a similar situation since he is 22nd all time in receiving touchdowns and 27th all time in receiving yards.

He may have taken away Jerry Rice’s single season receiving record, but Rice is considered to be the greatest wide receiver of all time in large part because of his impressive longevity, as he played 20 seasons, winning his third Super Bowl while he was in his thirties and ending up being the all-time leader in receiving yards and touchdowns.

Add this to the fact that Johnson never achieved any sort of postseason success and that there are so many other Wide Receivers that are considered to be Hall of Fame caliber — such as Terrell Owens, who sits third and second on those respective lists — who are not even getting selected and it seems very unlikely that Johnson will ever find his face on a plaque in Canton.

These retirements leave the Seahawks and Lions in very different situations. Seattle will be fine since their young running back core led by Thomas Rawls and Christine Michael will look to help the Seahawks return to the Super Bowl for the third time in four years and win their second championship during that period.

The Lions on the other hand will sink deeper into rebuilding and will need to add to their weak receiving core whose lone bright spot is Golden Tate. It is fair to say that Detroit is going to be waiting a while longer before they can even think about hoisting their first Lombardi Trophy.

Despite these announcements, do not be surprised if a clean bill of health, alongside an unmatchable passion for the game, puts Beast Mode and Megatron back on the gridiron after taking a season or two off.

After all, they were only inching their way out of the primes of their careers and they could likely rise back to stardom and add to their impressive résumés.

Also, while Lynch and Johnson were two very highly paid players, there is still a lot of money left on table. While a return down the road may not be out of the question, for now, just enjoy the careers of two magnificent athletes who, however brief they may have played, both made a lasting impact on the game.