Last month, we suggested that the Tennessee Titans and 2009 AP offensive player of the year Chris Johnson should find a way to mutually save face, while funneling some more money into the player’s pockets without inking him to a long-term, big-dollar deal.
As we wrote, “Given that he surely has unlocked some out-year escalators in light of
his performance during the first two years of his career, the Titans
should consider shifting some of that money — which will never actually
be paid if Johnson gets an extension — into 2010.”
So what has two thumbs and is otherwise blind but is gnawing on an acorn tonight?
Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean reports that the Titans and Johnson’s agent, Joel Segal, are discussing a compromise, which wouldn’t be the long-term deal Johnson wants but which would give him some more money now.
Says Wyatt, “Under the terms of the five-year, $12 million contract he signed prior
to his rookie season, Johnson has reached escalators in the deal that
could pay him up to an additional $2.5 million in salary in 2012. The
Titans could turn that money into a signing bonus in 2010, and combine
it with his scheduled base salary of $550,000 for this fall.”
Under that scenario, Johnson would make $3 million this year. It’s still far below what he’d like, but it’s a lot more than what the Titans could force him to take.
The NFL doesn’t have any “diva’s” so it wouldn’t be a problem.
How is this possible ??? Just a month ago MDS of this here web site was telling us that Johnson would play for $550K and “like it” !
Being cheap with Chris Johnson will limit the Titans success.
With the Oline this guy has and Fishers run run run mentality there is only one thing to do and thats PAY THE MAN! He will get anywhere between 1500 and 1700 rush yards guaranteed barring no major injury this year.
That or the Titans can bank on Young to get it done.
If he plays for less than 7 million – he’s a complete idiot.
He set the record for yards from scrimmage in a season, and could get hurt on any play ending his career. Who cares what the NFL “rules” are – the owners cooked up that BS.
Sit out till week 10 unless you get 7 million a year for multiple years.
$2.5M still doesn’t sound right, and I’m one of those lamers who always sides with the team. The Titans should’ve bumped it up to around $5M so CJ could at least be paid more than Bo Scaife.
How is CJ supposed to feel better about $3M? You or I might be, but then again neither of us produced over 2,500 yards last year…
Titans need to take care of him. He is the entire offense. Pay the man. What do they gain out of pissing him off?
He should and will probably take it. He held his children’s camp this year and has been seen at the facility more than once. The kid has to get paid and a holdout will just eat into his relatively thin pockets. I look forward to hearing that this deal is finalized and the team is moving on together. CJ can be safely drafted in all formats for fantasy purposes.
See Mike this is why players sit out and ask for new deals….You have owners who KNOW THEY SHOULD PAY THIS MAN and refuse….Its BS if they can not pay him AT LEAST 5 MILLION!!
The “Who has two thumbs and doesn’t give a crap” – Bob Kelso (which I can’t see because I can’t see I’m at work) is probably from Scrubs)
I’m glad to hear Johnson is being sensible about a compromise. This way, they can get to work on the season and then re-w0rk his contract once the NFL and the union reach their new agreement. Personally, I think he should play for his contract as is since nobody held a gun to his head when he signed it and therefore should honor it. But, he has outplayed his contract so hopefully they can get this compromise worked out and then he can prove again that they need to upgrade his contract.
short term fix?
sounds like purple drank again…
I wouldn’t take it if I was him. He needs to ask T. Davis how fast you can go from a 2000 yard season to being a commentator. Even in the military if you go that far above and beyond your job, you can be and probably will be meritoriously advanced in rank. Fair is fair. Believe me if he sucked the team would cut him in a minute.
Pay him $5 million, but make him get the Rosetta Stone Language course for English.
Then he has to pass a test by giving an intervieww where everyone knows what he just said.
if you have enough money to buy gold teeth,you dont need a pay raise.
”
Dealer says:
July 7, 2010 12:45 AM
If he plays for less than 7 million – he’s a complete idiot.
He set the record for yards from scrimmage in a season, and could get hurt on any play ending his career. Who cares what the NFL “rules” are – the owners cooked up that BS.
Sit out till week 10 unless you get 7 million a year for multiple years.
”
I agree.
The “rules” are a joke. You get what you can get, not what you deserve. CJ has the leverage to get a new deal. If they do not want to give him a long term one, just go 2 or 3 years at a time. He is one of the very few NFL players that are a national TV draw. Everyone wants to watch him run like we did with Barry. You can root against the Titans and still enjoy watching the guy, and they are not winning 8 games without him.
He absolutely deserves a new contract, and the Titans damn well know it.