INDIANAPOLIS -- Nearly two months after the news broke that Calvin Johnson could retire, the Detroit Lions are still waiting for a final answer from the wide receiver. And they don't want to pressure Megatron into a decision.
Lions general manager Bob Quinn was short on details Wednesday regarding Johnson, but he said that there would be "no deadline" for Johnson to make a decision. Quinn confirmed that Johnson's decision (or lack thereof) would clearly impact their free agency plans if they don't know by March 9, but they made an organizational decision not to pressure Johnson.
Quinn confirmed that he recently spoke with Johnson, but wouldn't go into details about that conversation. The longer this plays out, we believe there is a the greater chance that Johnson finds a way to remain with the team. He might need a new contract or a contract adjustment for that to happen.
Johnson's future is the big x-factor in Detroit's offseason, but there are plenty of other questions. Quinn tried to answer some of them Wednesday:
- Quinn confirmed that offensive tackle Riley Reiff will be back with the team in 2016. They will figure out his position later.
- Asked about Haloti Ngata, Quinn would only say that he's been in contact with the agents of a number of Detroit's unrestricted free agents.
- Asked what positions Quinn saw as "strengths" on the team, he started with quarterback. This staff remains very high on Matthew Stafford. The other positions he listed: defensive line and cornerback.
