Barry Sanders Comments on Calvin Johnson, Retirement Trend in NFL

Detroit Lions legend Barry Sanders joked Thursday night that he's going to spend the rest of the offseason trying to convince Calvin Johnson to come out of retirement. 

Jordan Heck of Sporting News passed along comments the 10-time Pro Bowler made during an interview with Steiner Sports about players walking away early. The report cited New York Jets lineman D'Brickashaw Ferguson and Buffalo Bills linebacker A.J. Tarpley as examples from this week alone. 

Sanders famously retired in 1999 despite having rushed for nearly 1,500 yards the previous season. He's a bit surprised other players are following in his footsteps by leaving the sport when they could still have productive seasons ahead:

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It is kind of interesting now, to see how the tables have turned and guys retiring because of the whole concussion thing. Or I guess their own personal reasons. Who would ever imagine that they would see the day when you see guys doing that at the height of their career? So it is peculiar for me to see that.

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On the topic of Johnson's decision, Sanders said he'll "work on him" to see if he can get the latest Lions superstar to change his mind before next season: "Make him an offer he can't refuse."

The 47-year-old former Heisman Trophy winner also discussed the difficulty of deciding to quit football early, as highlighted by Steiner Sports:

Getting Johnson back on the field could be just as difficult for Sanders as winning the rushing title four times. Johnson sounded content to leave the football spotlight for good when he made the announcement through the Lions' official site in March:

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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.

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The research and information about concussions and the potential long-term effects of head injuries, including the brain disease chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), is forcing players to make tough decisions.

Although there's a financial and competitive incentive to play in the NFL for as long as possible, it's hard to ignore the health question marks. ESPN.com's Rich Cimini reported Ferguson's intention to retire Friday. In his retirement post on Instagram on Wednesday, Tarpley said he wanted to "preserve my future health" after suffering two concussions last season.

These retirements are the latest examples of players coming to terms with the dangers of the game. Although Sanders didn't expect the movement, it wouldn't be a surprise to see it become more common moving forward.