Two years ago, the Titans hired Jim Skipper as their running backs coach and signed running back Chris Johnson to a gargantuan contract extension. Johnson hasn’t quite lived up to his salary, and Skipper may be paying for that with his job.
The Titans will not renew Skipper’s contract, Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean reports.
Johnson had 1,243 yards this year, certainly not a bad season -- but not quite what the Titans were hoping for, especially considering how inconsistent he was, with five different games in which he gained less than 30 yards and had an average of 2.5 yards a carry or less. The Titans’ decision to find a new running backs coach suggests that they think they can find someone who will get more consistent production out of Johnson.
Skipper has been a consistent supporter of Johnson’s, so Johnson may not be happy about this news. But he’s about to get a new position coach.