A.J. Green first thought Calvin Johnson was joking about retirement

12:57 PM ET

CINCINNATI — Since entering the NFL, A.J. Green has made Atlanta his offseason home.

While there in the spring and summer months, the former University of Georgia star trained with Calvin Johnson, a Georgia Tech legend who grew up in the city’s metropolitan area. They regularly worked out together at Tech and discussed the technical ins and outs of being elite NFL receivers.

When Johnson, holder of multiple Detroit Lions receiving records, first started broaching the topic of retirement with Green, the Cincinnati Bengals wideout had trouble taking Johnson seriously.

“He said he could play the game, but getting through the week is the tough part,” Green said. “He said three years ago, ‘A.J., I’ve got two more years. I’ve like two, three years and then I’m out of here after I’ve got nine [seasons].’ I thought he was just playing.”

No, he really wasn’t.

A.J. Green wants to …

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