Chris Johnson hasn’t heard from Titans about contract

Posted by Josh Alper on February 1, 2013, 6:41 PM EDT
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Next week is a big one for Titans running back Chris Johnson.

Five days after either the Ravens or 49ers are crowned as champions, $9 million of Johnson’s $10 million salary for the 2013 season becomes guaranteed. The Titans haven’t said publicly what they plan to do in regard to Johnson and Johnson says they haven’t been any more forthcoming about their plans in private.

“Everybody talks about it, but I haven’t heard from them, not anything,” Johnson said, via the Tennessean. “So I don’t know.”

There hasn’t been much indication that the Titans are thinking about releasing Johnson, who ran for 1,243 yards and six touchdowns this season, but Johnson may have provided some reason for them to consider it at another point in his converstion. Johnson gave his impression on how close the Titans are to making the Super Bowl and it wasn’t one that suggested a $10 million running back is going to be the difference between a parade and sorrow in Nashville.

“We’re very, very, very far away,” Johnson said. “I can’t even see it. It’s like it’s in space.”

We’ll find out pretty soon if Johnson’s going to be part of the Titans’ plan to get a little closer in 2013.

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37 responses to “Chris Johnson hasn’t heard from Titans about contract”

  2. At least he is being honest instead of taking ads out in papers guaranteeing a super bowl (stupid panthers)…cut him Tennessee I’d take him in green bay

  3. Last 5 games of the year rushed 85 times for 301 yards 3.5 yards per carry. Take away the 94 yard rush he had against the Jets 84 rushes for 207 yards 2.5 yards per carry. I could think of 10 million reasons to cut him.

  5. It must be odd to have an RB run for over 1200 yards and say he sucks. I know that he’s WELL over paid, but yeah… I can think of a LOT of teams that would LOVE to have a 1200 yard rusher. *cough*Green Bay*cough*

  6. The only RB worth $10M is AP. RBs just aren’t as important as they used to be and good ones can be had for cheap (relatively speaking).

    Titans would be foolish to bring back CJ over drafting one with a mid-round pick and paying him $500K per for the first three years… the production will be pretty similar in the end.

  7. He said it himself, they are far away so cut him and use the money to get better. He isn’t worth that much although if you could get him to restructure so that you can cut him later that would be ideal. Get it to a $6mil cap hit this year and cut him next year. He may go off again, so its worth giving it another year at that price.

    His comments were great though; I prefer when a player tells it like it is. And that is how it is in Tennessee (for the Vols too).

  8. Can’t trade a contract like his so a cut is the only answer. 10 million may not buy as much as it once did but with as many holes this team has it may help plug a few of them. The titans need a back that can HIT the hole for the tough yards. You don’t have to hit a homerun everytime you’re at the plate and that’s all CJ wants to do at this point.

  11. Too much money for a running back who’s initials aren’t AP.

    How many times do we have to watch RBs come out of nowhere to have huge seasons before we realize that you don’t need to spring for elite talent at the position?

  12. He’s definately overrated and over paid, but would love to see him in Detroit! He would be great in the passing game. It would be like having Best back, just less injury prone.

  13. I’ve had no sympathy for guys like Osi, Revis, Jones-Drew, Briggs, etc who demand to renegotiate after only a couple years into a 5 plus year contract. They should honor their contract, especially if they’ve received most of the money up front. That said, it’s time for the Titans to honor their contract they made with Chris Johnson. Sure, he flailed and didn’t live up to his contract with comparatively terrible numbers, but if you expect players to honor their contract, then you the owners should honor your end as well.

  14. The packers would never pay him more then what a desperate franchise would. CJ has been all about the money since day one. We have too many of our own free agents to sign then worry about paying a one trick pony that needs giant holes to bust a big one. Have you seen our oline lately? Do you think they will be opening the holes like those bulldozers tennessee had when he was a 2k running back? Get real. CJ will end his career as a trivia question.

  16. “We’re very, very, very far away,” Johnson said.
    ========================================

    2,500 yards said the exact thing about Johnson when he claimed he’d rush for that amount.

  17. Let’s see… the team is probably more than a couple of drafts away from being a serious contender.

    They can spend the rookie minimum on a mid-rounder who may get 800 yards OR they can spend $9 million for an extra 400 yards IF he doesn’t start breaking down.

    What’s there to think about? If I already had a SB contender on the field, Adrian Peterson is about the only RB I pay that much to.

  21. I think that Chris Johnson could be a great fit in Miami. They have money and don’t appear to be keeping Reggie Bush.

    Miami could change the offense if they re-sign Long, pick up a true WR like maybe Greg Jennings, and nab CJ2K. They have the coaching staff and the cap room to make it work.

  26. “We’re very, very, very far away,” Johnson said. “I can’t even see it. It’s like it’s in space.”

    “… Even with me at running back making $10 million a year. Also, by paying me that absurd amount of money, the Titan’s franchise is ensuring that they will have 10 million less dollars to get better players who can bring us very, very, very close”

  27. This is a non story. 1st, the Titans have already said CJ is not going anywhere and 2nd, CJ just spoke the truth. The Titans are very far away from being SB contenders and its not because of lack of talent. Its because of lack of coaching. This team has no identity on defense and no clear offensive philosophy. There are also very cheap which is evident by that awful 0-line they put in front of CJ. Yeah, CJ only got 1200…but he got them behind the worst o-Line in franchise history. Everybody wants to cut him because he didn’t rack up a ton of yards but that’s the stupidest thing I ever heard. None of the other RB’s on the roster could do half as good behind that o-line but ya’ll want to get rid of CJ…the best player on the team…yeah that make sense. How about contracting a world class o-line and helping out CJ and Locker and see what kind of offense you really have. They almost killed Jake Locker last season. Stop trying to make up stories about CJ. He’s a Titan and he’s right. Quote: “Playoffs?”

  28. Owner Bud Adams runs the show in the Titans organization, the team will not cut RB Chris Johnson the teams only star player of note. He will get the guaranteed money for past performance of 5 consecutive 1,000 plus yards rushing and for what he did for Connecticut shooting victims of Sandy Hook Elementary keeps in a positive light within the teams hierarchy. Chris Johnson will be a Titan for at least the 2013 season. The Titans will draft an Alabama offensive lineman in the first round and then we will talk about this again in 2014…..

  31. I love those posts “Take away this run or these runs and look at his stats”. That run SINGLE HANDEDLY WON A FOOTBALL GAME. It’s his best weapon and he has double the number of 80+ yard runs than any player in NFL history.

    Also his stats the last month were poor, but we also had 4 Starting o-lineman on the IR losing a couple around that time, Locker coming back and doing awful (partly because of the o-line being a bunch of swinging doors), and we got a new offensive coordinator with a month left.

    Even half of our backup o-linemen were out half of the last month with random issues or sickness. So the fact that the comment got 150 thumbs up is pretty ignorant. Before those 5 games he was averaging like 120 YPG for like 8 weeks when our o-line wasn’t all on the IR, he’s capable of being a top back with an oline that isn’t ranked 32nd.

  34. Great quote Alper. CJ1K has now cemented the perception that he is not a leader. $10M is too much for this player at this time no doubt. However, what option do the Titans really have. Like it or not they are in a tough rebuilding spot. Their team is full of quitters. This is evidenced that for two years now they have been ridiculously blown out and shown no fight in those games (was it 56-0 vs Pats). Unfortunately they need to blow it up from staff to players. Even worse they have a Davis style owner who doesn’t see clearly the problems and is desperate for quick fixes.

  35. As big of a playmaker he has been, if they’re content to keep running it up the middle, behind a horrid interior o-line, they might as well cut him and save the money. Utilize his talent, or don’t waste his time and your money.

  36. Titans Runningback Chris Johnson has the NFL record for most 80 yard or longer touchdown runs with 6, Chris Johnson has the NFL record for runs of 90 or more yard touchdown runs, more than AP, more than Barry Sanders, more than OJ Simpson, more than Eric Dickerson. CJ is on track to pass Earl Campbell and Eddie George for career rushing yards. CJ’s career rushing yards per attempt is higher than both Campbell and George. And even after CJ got the big contract he still rushed for over 1,000 yards every season since, how did Panthers RB’s Stewart and D. Williams do after they got big contracts ? There are many other runningbacks that got huge contracts who did not have more than one 1,000 yard season. Chris Johnson is an average to below average receiver from the Runningback position so far in his career. If Chris Johnson played on the same team he is on now with Tom Brady or Peyton Manning at Quarterback, do you think Chris Johnson would say he was on a team that was close to winning the Superbowl ? Yes, he would the Titans are far away due to average to below average Quarterback play. If the Titans get a strong leader, a winner at the Quarterback position, all would be seen differently, until that happens…. Chris Johnson is right the Titans are far away from the Superbowl… That is not being a bad teammate…

  37. Keep him! He is not over rated. He had a bad season because our O line sucked this year because of injuries. He can run the ball when proper protection is applied. We should get rid of Munchak for starting Locker. When he knew deep down that boy was not prepared.

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