Titans running back Chris Johnson is only six months removed from one of the best seasons in football history. But in the last six months Johnson has been staying away from the team in a contract holdout, and coach Jeff Fisher says that means Johnson is falling behind.
“Not only has he missed the conditioning, but from an offensive standpoint he hasn’t had a day with his new running backs coach,’' Fisher said. “So he’s missed a lot. . . . He’ll have some catching up to do. And it’s certainly better for everyone involved if he is familiar with whatever changes and special types of things we’re doing for him offensively.’'
It’s true, Fisher fired Earnest Byner and replaced him with Kennedy Pola as the Titans’ running backs coach this offseason, so Johnson hasn’t worked with his position coach yet. But Johnson’s teammate, receiver Nate Washington, said he’s sure Johnson can get ready quickly even if he misses the entire offseason.
“C.J. is not a football illiterate person,” Washington said. “He has been playing football his whole life, and we are very confident he has been working out. We are not worried about where he’ll be at physically or where he’ll be at mentally. . . . Everything he’s missed, that can be caught up.”