Cardinals HC Bruce Arians told reporters after Saturday’s game that recently signed RB Chris Johnson did not play in the exhibition due to a hamstring injury that is likely to keep him out for a week or two.
Arizona just signed Johnson to a one-year contract worth up $2 million less than a week ago. The team did guarantee $400,000 of his $870,000 base salary.
Arians mentioned shortly after he was signed that they aren’t promised him anything, including a roster spot.
Assuming Johnson ends up sitting out two weeks, he wouldn’t play at all during the preseason, which could really impact his chances of making the team.
Johnson, 29, has a similar skill set to Andre Ellington, which means there is some question as to how the team would use both players. However, Ellington has dealt with injuries since entering the league, so I’m sure they could find reps for both players in a committee approach.
In 2014, Johnson ran for 663 yards on 155 carries (4.3 YPC) to go along with 24 receptions for 151 yards receiving and two total touchdowns during the 2014 season. Pro Football Focus rated Johnson as the No. 46 running back out of 57 qualifying players.
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