Stafford doesn't see Johnson making return from retirement

Having walked away from the NFL after just nine seasons, Calvin Johnson will undoubtedly be followed by rumors of a potential return for at least the next few years.

The longtime Detroit Lions wideout racked up 1,124 yards and nine touchdowns in his age 30 season, demonstrating that he's still more than capable of playing at a high level moving forward.

But Matthew Stafford, Johnson's quarterback for the better part of the last seven seasons, isn't among those expecting a change of heart.

"For me, I take him very seriously at his word," Stafford told WJR-AM, according to Justin Rogers of mLive.com. "I'm sure he's going to miss football. It was a big part of his life. But at the same time, I think he's happy with his decision and he's at peace with it. I know he'll still pull for us, but in my mind, I don't see (a return) happening."

Stafford was among the several within the Lions organization that wasn't surprised by Johnson's retirement announcement, explaining in March that he was well aware of the toll taken over the years.

"So I knew the NFL was kind of wearing on him and I just told him, when he told me he was done, I just told him, 'I'm happy for you if you're happy.' And that's what you want," Stafford said, via Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. "He's a guy that gave everything to the game and you want him to be able to walk out on his own terms and feel like he did the right thing."

With Stafford and Johnson leading the way, the Lions fielded a passing offense that produced at a top-10 level in four of the past five years.

Detroit will now move forward looking to maintain that relative consistency with Marvin Jones and TJ Jones stepping into more substantial roles alongside Golden Tate.