In his defense, getting paid for any amount of time vs not getting paid sounds pretty good even if leaves you in a position where you're somewhat unsure.
I agree it wouldn't surprise many if Danny retires, but I don't know if it would be a voluntary retirement rather than simply running out of options. If he's not on a factory team in 2027 I would like to see him show up as a privateer for a few European WC races as well as World Champs.