NFL: Barry Sanders vs. Calvin Johnson vs. Andrew Luck - Most Shocking Retirement?

[Voight]

Barry Sanders pretty easily for the NFL.

Sanders is second only to Michael Jordan (the first time) for shocking retirements.

I don't really see the argument for Luck over Sanders to be honest.

Jordan's was shocking at the time but with what we know now, its not that surprising. Atlantic City Mike had to take a break without the negative publicity.

The shock of Sanders retirement doesn't make that much sense to me. Obviously he was still a very good player, but he was 30 years old in his last season, to be 31 the year after if he played. His last season he was the 5th oldest RB in the league (with the oldest being 32) and none of the 4 older RBs had more than 500 yards rushing. He had a steep stepback his last year even if it was still very good, and most likely just got out before a big fall-off. RBs are so different than any other position for how quickly they fall off.

This and to me Megatron was more shocking.

Lions weren't going anywhere when Sanders retired.

Now the Stafford-era Lions aren't exactly an elite team but there was at least some potential there. Megatron had a solid QB who wasn't retiring or leaving anytime soon so there wasn't exactly a prime reason to retire. Still had plenty of productive years left too.

 

[Jive Pawnbroker]

Barry would easily have had the all time rushing record had he kept playing but individual achievements were never a big deal for him. In the last game of his rookie year, the Lions had a decent lead and just needed to run out the clock. Barry only needed eleven yards to overtake Christian Okoye to win the rushing title. The coaching staff asked him if he wanted to go back in the game to get those eleven yards and he said No Thanks in favor of giving someone else a chance to play. Just like how he never made a big deal about scoring a TD, on the field he never made himself the focal point like so many players do today.

 

[b1e9a8r5s]

Barry would easily have had the all time rushing record had he kept playing but individual achievements were never a big deal for him. In the last game of his rookie year, the Lions had a decent lead and just needed to run out the clock. Barry only needed eleven yards to overtake Christian Okoye to win the rushing title. The coaching staff asked him if he wanted to go back in the game to get those eleven yards and he said No Thanks in favor of giving someone else a chance to play. Just like how he never made a big deal about scoring a TD, on the field he never made himself the focal point like so many players do today.

For as great as Barry was, he could be a frustrating guy to have on your fantasy team because they'd take him out at the goaline.

This includes receiving TDs, but you still get the point. Here's his TD by distance.

4-9 yards	26
3 or fewer yards	26
30 or more yards	26
10-19 yards	23
20-29 yards	8

[TBODY] [/TBODY]

Now here's Shawn Alexander who had 1 more rushing TD in his career (100) for comparison.

3 or fewer yards	57
4-9 yards	22
10-19 yards	15
30 or more yards	10
20-29 yards	8

[TBODY] [/TBODY]

 

[Jive Pawnbroker]

For as great as Barry was, he could be a frustrating guy to have on your fantasy team because they'd take him out at the goaline.

This includes receiving TDs, but you still get the point. Here's his TD by distance.

4-9 yards	26
3 or fewer yards	26
30 or more yards	26
10-19 yards	23
20-29 yards	8

[TBODY] [/TBODY]

Now here's Shawn Alexander who had 1 more rushing TD in his career (100) for comparison.

3 or fewer yards	57
4-9 yards	22
10-19 yards	15
30 or more yards	10
20-29 yards	8

[TBODY] [/TBODY]

Tommy Vardell vultured some TDs away from Barry in his last two seasons but IMO the reason he didn't have a lot more rushing TDs than he did was the combination of 1) the Lions not having a strong run-blocking O-line and 2) opposing defenses taking away the run in the red zone and (smartly) forcing the Lions QB to beat them with the pass. Eric Andolsek was the only true run-blocking stud they had in those years vs. the rest of the O-line that excelled at pass blocking, like Lomas Brown and Kevin Glover. The Lions also employing the Run & Shoot with no fullback or TE blocking for him made it easier for defenses to key on him in short yardage situations.

I shudder to think how many yards and TDs Barry would have racked up with Dallas' O-line.

 

[ShelbyZ]

Not trying to be a dick, but you won 1 playoff game with Sanders and haven't won 1 since. Sanders was an absolute joy to watch, but even with him those teams didn't do much.

In the context of the Detroit Lions, that one playoff win and making the playoffs in 3 consecutive seasons during Sanders tenure represents the best they have (AND had) been in a long time.

The biggest hit after losing Sanders was the infamous hiring of Matt Millen to run the show less than 2 years later. Have to wonder if Sanders sticks around for another 2 years, do they fare better than their 8-8 and 9-7 seasons and keep Ford Sr. from approaching Millen or at least stick with Moeller for the 3 years he was supposed to be in charge?

Then again, that would also mean Sanders keeps playing for a coach he apparently hated playing for. So who knows.

 

[HisIceness]

I hate that I never got to see Sanders play minus one or two prime-time games but back then I was way more into the NBA and would not have appreciated his talents even if I understood what was going on. Can't answer there.

Johnson retiring early was a little surprising but not shocking. He had little left in his ankles, and as others have said being a Detroit Lion isn't easy.

Luck retiring just weeks before the season was unexpected.

 

[GKJ]

Part of this depends on whether or not you thought Luck was going to retire after the full season he missed, because people definitely thought that.

Sanders and Johnson, there seems to be elements of disdain with the team. Sanders, as I recall, was willing to come out of retirement if he would've been traded, preferably to the Redskins, but I don't know how true that was.

 

[ecemleafs]

Luck. Barry Sanders at least played 10+ years and is 7th all time in carries so its not like he went out early in "football years"

 

[b1e9a8r5s]

Part of this depends on whether or not you thought Luck was going to retire after the full season he missed, because people definitely thought that.

Sanders and Johnson, there seems to be elements of disdain with the team. Sanders, as I recall, was willing to come out of retirement if he would've been traded, preferably to the Redskins, but I don't know how true that was.

My guess is that most of those voting Luck are younger and weren't around or watching as closely when Sanders retired. If you weren't following closely, it's easy to just look at Sanders stats and age now and think, a 30 year old RB retired, happens all the time.

 

[GKJ]

My guess is that most of those voting Luck are younger and weren't around or watching as closely when Sanders retired. If you weren't following closely, it's easy to just look at Sanders stats and age now and think, a 30 year old RB retired, happens all the time.

If you're an elder statesman around here, the correct answer is Jim Brown.

 

[b1e9a8r5s]

If you're an elder statesman around here, the correct answer is Jim Brown.

Haha, that's probably true. I'm only 37 though.

 

[mouser]

If you're an elder statesman around here, the correct answer is Jim Brown.

In fairness Jim Brown was a little unique in that he had an opportunity to earn more outside of football.

 

[GKJ]

In fairness Jim Brown was a little unique in that he had an opportunity to earn more outside of football.

He did but he only retired because Art Modell picked a fight with him.