The Facts: Calvin Johnson entered the league only four years before Jones. With Johnson, who played college football at Georgia Tech, now retired, Georgia's top NFL receiver was asked about the decision on Tuesday. "I don't fault anyone for stepping away from the game," Jones told the Atlanta Journal Constitution. "But for me, speaking for myself, if I was ever to think about retiring, it's just like when my game starts declining and I feel like I can't go anymore or do the things I can usually do, that's when you hang it up."

Diehards Line: So when might Jones decide to hang it up? “I’m year to year,” Jones said with a laugh. “I’m just going to keep going. Like I said, if I feel like I’ve had a decline in my game and I can’t go, or if I can’t overcome something. .. I’m very tough and I have a high tolerance for pain. If I feel like I can’t go, I just can’t go. If other people tell me I can’t go and I know I can still go. ... When I can’t go, then it’s time.” As PFT suggests, that's a reasonable position. The final analysis for Jones, as for many players, hinges on the intersection of the effects of injuries and age. For average players, that combination often gets them booted from the sport long before they are ready. For great players, the question becomes whether and for how long they’ll tolerate being average.